By DJ Monk
(Perhaps) surprisingly, Headsticks have not crossed ÜRHQ’s usually highly targeted rock ‘n’f’n’ roll radar until now… we must fix that glitch! Actually, we’re doing so right now, as this, the latest album from the Cheshire folk-punks has just kicked in the office door, walked up to our desk, spat in our face and asked “do we have your attention now, mofos?” Indeed, you do sirs, and thank you very much for introducing yerselves in such style.
It has to be said that, right from the off, Headsticks touch on a variety of bases, from the aforementioned folk-punk of their roots (they arose from the ashes of Tower Struck Down and Jugopunch back in 2012, which is why it’s surprisingly we haven’t tangled paths before now) to pure garage blues via mutated reggae, skanked up louchness and good old-fashioned hard-hitting, no holds barred, don’t give a fuck hard riffin’ rocka rollin’ (in)gloriousness.
Kicking in true anarchic style with the furious ‘When?’, the band’s folk origins are clearly evident in the poetic quality of Andrew Tranter’s lyricism, which nods at everything from the agit-pop protest songs of the late-Sixties through the provocation of the likes of Billy Bragg through to the more latter-day introspection of Frank Turner et al. “So, it’s a land of opportunity/Everybody has a story they may or may not wish to tell/Everybody has a story and everybody here has been halfway to hell” he snarls, with a beautifully ironic smile on his face, in the first of an ironic tirades against the iconoclasm and insincere idiocy – and, dare we say, shallowness – of society today.
But, it’s now all politics and raging against the machine: his commentary extends into many other aspects of everyday life, such as on the reggae-fuelled swagger of ‘I Love You…”, which he builds around that oft-used declarative: “I love you but I’ll never understand you”. Indeed sir, never has a truer word been spoken!
As it struts and swaggers its way through its remaining 14 tracks, ‘Kept In The Dark’ maintains a cocksure attitude that is assured without being overly cockly, confident without being arrogant, with standout moments being the gloriously insane ‘Mushrooms’ and ‘Mr I’m Alright Jack’, the beautifully introspective and regretful ‘It’s A Matter Of Time’, the rifftastic ‘Smoke And Mirrors’ and the sublimely ironic anarchy of ‘What If They’re Right?’.
All of which beggars just one simple question: why the fuck did it take you guys so long to invite yourselves ‘round to ÜRHQ? You don’t need a second one… just don’t leave it so long until the next time – after all, you know where we hide the spare key ?
- ‘Kept In The Dark’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
- Headsticks play the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds on Thursday 18 April, The Rigger in Newcastle Under Lyme on Friday 19 April and the Maze in Nottingham on Saturday 20 April. They also play the Bearded Theory Spring Gathering on Saturday 25 May and the Something To Smile About festival on Sunday 2 June.
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