I love punk rock, but it's hard to really get it right. Punk bands can easily fall into the trap of coming off too strong or too soft. You end up either sounding a bit scary like The Damned or like some poser band from the abomination that is the pop punk, Vans Warped Tour scene. That's why it's hard for me to get into punk rock bands. I really like what current punk bands like Slaves are doing, but I still find them a little too intimidating to really become a fan of theirs (though I must say that I do have a soft spot for some of their tunes like "Cheer Up London" and "The Hunter").
It's a shame because I love punk and its DIY ethos. I also think punk sometimes has a problem of sounding too oversimplified, repetitive or dumbed down. So many bands have just strictly tried to recreate what bands like The Ramones did and it just gets boring. Another thing about punk that can turn people off like me is that bands don't always get their style or fashion sense right. I much prefer the sharper, clean look of bands like The Jam and Buzzcocks to the disheveled (and sometimes frightening) look of The Sex Pistols or The Clash. So, even though I'm always open to listening to new punk rock bands, I usually go into it with a bit of skepticism. I know it's seems a bit unfair to impose this checklist on an entire subgenre of music, but it's something that I just do subconsciously.
When I heard this new, Scottish punk rock band, Baby Strange, I have to admit that I was intrigued, but not initially because of their music, it was their name. I was hoping that the name was a direct reference to the T. Rex song of the same name (because I'm a huge Marc Bolan fan), but I remember reading somewhere that the band said it was just something they came up with when they were drunk. Of course, the name still led me to check out their stuff and I have to say that I'm really glad it did.
One quintessential element of punk is the enthralling, mesmerizing frontman who sets the tempo for the band's music and their philosophy. Baby Strange are no exception. Lead singer, Johnny Madden, is an alluring and captivating figure, and perfect example of this is the band's music video for "VVV." The black and white video shows Madden singing by himself in front of blank background. The catch is that there's colorful patterns and animations projected on Madden's face that draw the viewer in, but I have to say, even if the projections weren't there, your eyes have no choice but to be drawn to him. Madden has this look in his eyes that makes him born to be a frontman in an odd way. It's hard to imagine him doing anything besides playing guitar and fronting a band. He has this dark aura about him that commands your utmost attention and it leaves you in awe of his talent.
However, it must be said that they are, by no means, a one man band. Baby Strange are a trio and the other two members are brothers: drummer, Connaire McCann and bass player, Aidan McCann. The nearly identical-looking brothers drive the rhythm section of the band really well, but it's hard to appreciate just how tight they are unless you watch them live or see a video of them playing live. I watched a video of the band performing their song "Distance Yourself" in 2014 at Radio 1's Big Weekend and McCann's bassline is just sublime, whereas the other McCann's drumming skills are especially apparent on the live performance of the band's song, "Friend", which you can watch below.
Baby Strange make music that's made for live shows. Their debut album, Want It Need It, was just released this month and it's a collection of songs that they've been playing live for the last two or three years. Want It Need It is basically a greatest hits, no filler kind of record and it was never an album that was going to take forever to record because of the simplicity of the songs. The whole album clocks in at just under half an hour of music (though it's ten tracks long), which is pretty light, but that's just because all tracks on the album are around two or three minutes a piece. It's fast, straightforward punk rock, but make no mistake: it never gets boring or too repetitive. It's fun, edgy, garage punk rock to jump around to. Most of the songs aren't really made for singalongs, they're made for moshing and having a good time with your friends. That being said, the lyrics and the music aren't just filler that just hangs in the background either.
The lyrics are a hugely important element of Baby Strange. Madden sings on "Pure Evil" of being "tired of his generation", on "Trouble" of "fear and apprenhension by his side" and on "Friend" of falling out with a mate. Sure, there's plenty of references to sex and going out, but there's more to it than that. It's about being young and rebellious, having fun and trying to make sense of your current situation or environment. I mean, I dare anyone to restrain themselves from joining in with a crowd of kids jumping around and singing "they try to take our night / they try to take our fun / don't they know it's real / don't they ever fear / that it's over."
In regards to the music, it accompanies the lyrics perfectly and it was simply made to go hand in hand. Right from the get go, the album's lead track, "Pure Evil", sets the tone. The intro's got this simple, dark and edgy guitar riff, then the loud, energetic rhythm section kicks in and Madden's angry yet subtle vocals come in with "I fell in love on a Friday / never again." The track really shines with Madden's ooh's and ah's in the chorus and that's not the only track that shows off his infectious vocals. Another song, "Human", shows Madden channeling Muse's Matt Bellamy, while in the title track, "Want It Need It", he sounds reminiscent of Spring King's Tarek Musa.
There's absolutely no sense of hit or miss on the album. Every track is high-energy, youthful, garage punk rock and it doesn't let up until the album ends. The band have been playing for a few years now, but now that their fantastic debut album is out, there's no stopping them now. They've already toured the UK with successful bands like Slaves, Swim Deep and Palma Violets, all of which have played here in the US. So, here's hoping Baby Strange are the next of many great bands to make their way across the pond soon. You can follow Baby Strange on Twitter here to get updates from the band and you can also download their album (yes, you can get it in the US!) from iTunes here.
