The AdictsAnd it was So!

Arising Empire
17th November, 2017
8
Quirky Punk hooks

Scotland’s The Adicts are nearing upon 40 years activity, so their decision to return with a record called And It Was So! makes plenty of sense. From the outset, the band’s reputation precedes it, and they’re out to deliver on the band’s long-standing promise: Buzzcocky power pop by the way of London Calling‘s theatricality.

MORE: This weeks top 20 tracks on Hysteria Radio, vote now!

While And It Was So! immediately establishes itself as lip service to long-time fans, the Adicts aren’t just resting on their laurels—as formulaic and as rooted in the past as their sound is, the Adicts artfully manage to avoid feeling like a Formula Band.

And It Was So! delivers exactly what a geezer punk album should—musicianship supercedes anger and the songs give a nod to the band’s esteemed past without coming across as carbon copies.

Maybe that’s because, as a second-tier first-wave UK punk act, recognised in contemporary circles more for their Clockwork Orange-inspired mascot than their music, the stakes surrounding And It Was So! are relatively low. This ultimately helps the record, the Adicts’ never feel too constrained by the burden of their signature sound.

In that freedom, they can serve up some surprises. There’s notes of Turbonegro’s swaggering bombast on tracks like If You Want It and Love Sick Baby and I Owe You is a compelling reflection on 90s skate punk.

Even the tracks that don’t set the world on fire, closer You’ll Be the Death of Me for example, have quirky hooks and earworm guitar fills that will dissuade you from reaching for the skip button.

And It Was So! delivers exactly what a geezer punk album should—musicianship supercedes anger and the songs give a nod to the band’s esteemed past without coming across as carbon copies.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Talking Shit, Wanna Be, If You Want It
STICK THIS NEXT TO:
Dead Boys, Stiff Little Fingers, The Stooges




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