By Jim Rowland
Featuring members of The Saints, The Members and Wonk Unit, South London punk rockers Los Santos release their debut album ‘El Corazon’ this week, a short, sharp six track slice of pure old school punk rock.
Indeed, whilst described as an album, with the six tracks clocking in at just under the 16-minute mark, it may be more accurate to describe this as an mini-album, or even an EP. Those 16 minutes, though, are sure to please fans of catchy, pop-tinged old school punk. Los Santos features Michael G Bayliss on vocals and bass guitar and Richard England, guitar and vocals, both of whom have served time in The Saints and The Members as well as their own band Alcohol. The band also features Wonk Unit members Alex Wonk on drums and X Ray Vez on lead vocals on this album.
‘On The Strip (Vegas Baby)’ and ‘Bourbon Street’ are both punk rock belters full of catchy guitar hooks and vocal melodies to match, with a definite Pistols-esque vibe in the guitar department, ‘Stoneface’ and ‘Sorry’ have a slightly more raw, rough, ready and nasty punk rock approach, whilst ‘Fanclub (For Ronnie Spector)’ has, as the title suggests, a distinct big 60’s pop approach, removed from its punk rock predecessors. The whole thing is capped off with a very decent version of Husker Du’s ‘Sorry Somehow’, which features Kate O Brien (MC5), Andy Cox (The Beat) and Chris Musto (Johnny Thunders / Glen Matlock) and is a timely reminder of what a great song writer Grant Hart was.
There’s more to come from Los Santos soon with current single ‘Fanclub’ to be followed by ‘Sorry Somehow’ as a single release later in November, with the band also working on ‘Dream Baby Dream’, a re-working of the Suicide song, and an EP of The Saints songs in tribute to Chris Bailey and Algy Ward.
- ‘El Corazon’ is released on Friday (3 November).
- Los Santos play a free entry “double album launch show, with The Gonads, at Triangle Café and Bar, Copperas Street, Greenwich, also on Friday.
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