The Suzukis’ self titled debut album eventually found it’s way into my laptop after a weekend of amazing highs and tragic lows that has left me both physically and mentally drained.  Music has proven over the years to be a great means of escape in such circumstances, and so I clicked play and just hoped this CD would prove to be a good tonic.  Was it? In a word – Yes.

The Wigan based 4 piece kick off  proceedings with their new single ‘Are You Happy With Yourself’.  It’s a short, sharp, angry blast of Stooges inspired rock with the song’s title being sang over the top with pure Johnny Rotten venomous vocals dripping over the pounding drums and fantastic bass.

Next up is ‘Built In’ which has a more Indie approach in the verse with nice melodic guitars which then erupt into a catchy sing-a-long chorus that plays over a crunching guitar wall of noise.   Track 3 ‘Really High’ is the only respite the listener will get on this album. This track has hints of Wigan’s music lords The Verve laced with an early Oasis vibe and is the only time that The Suzukis tone it down.

So as you can see already there’s a lot of different influences on here, but as I’ve said in the past having an influence is fine as long as you don’t just blatantly rip a band off.  The Suzukis do not rip any particular band off – they basically want to rock hard and fast and if that means they occasionally remind me of someone like Iggy Pop then so be it. Their musicianship firmly put’s their own stamp on the overall sound – solid drums, great guitars with a raw and dirty edge to them, and some frankly astounding bass lines. Singer Chris Veasey has a powerful voice that would stand out amongst many singers peddling their trade at the moment.

In short, the album is a foot to the floor delight. Tracks like ‘Personal Patrol’ have a really great swagger about them while ’HMS Greyface’ must surely go down a storm live with it’s relentless assault on the ears.  The album in general has a wide appeal and if you’re into the classic Punk bands, or bands that spawned the lad culture of the mid-nineties, or bands born through the fallout of Britpop such as The Cooper Temple Clause, you will not be disappointed.

Kev says….

Check out their website www.thesuzukis.com to get a free download of their single.

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