By Jim Rowland
The Isle of Wight isn’t traditionally known as a hot bed of punk rock, but that’s just where Ryde punks Grade 2 hail from. Celebrating their first ten years together this year, they have already built a solid reputation for themselves, but their new self-titled album on Hellcat Records, their fourth in total, could well propel them to a whole new level.
Forming when they were a mere 14 years old, Grade 2 honed their craft playing covers of old school punk legends like The Clash, The Jam and The Stranglers. The influence of those early punk pioneers is there for all to see in this album, mixed in with a healthy helping of UK street punk (as hinted at by their logo), and a modern twist of their own to make the whole thing sound fresh and certainly no punk pastiche.
Clocking in at around the 35 minute mark, ‘Grade 2’ is short, sharp and to the point, with only two of its 15 tracks getting as far as the three minute mark, so it’s perfect for that coloured vinyl edition. The likes of ‘Judgement Day’, ‘Fast Pace’ and ‘Midnight Ferry’ are quality traditional punk tunes oozing catchy guitar hooks, ‘Brassic’ and ‘Celine’ are the kind of catchy pop/punk the Buzzcocks gained a reputation for, and the chunky bass line of the brilliantly titled ‘Streetrat Skallywag’ hints at those early years knocking out Stranglers tunes.
The fast and furious punk rock of ‘Parasite’ and ‘Bottom Shelf’ have a definite UK Subs flavour to them for me, whilst ‘Under The Streetlight’, ‘Don’t Stand Alone’, ‘See You Around’ and ‘Doing Time’ are the kind of tough, catchy street punk anthems you would associate with the mighty Cock Sparrer.
Drawing influence from punk’s glorious past, giving it a fresh lick of paint and a contemporary twist, ‘Grade 2’ is punk rock at its best for the here and now.
- ‘Grade 2‘ is out now.
Grade 2 play the following dates during March:
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