ALBUM REVIEW: The Melbies - Songs for Harambe (Vol. 1)
Drawing from the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and Mclusky, it’s a tremendously silly album, but musically it’s on point, and it’s a good antidote to the serious times in which we live, offering up fourteen jams in just under forty minutes.
The album announces itself with a twinkle in its eye and overtones of The Wildhearts. Opening with the layered harmonies and flaming riffs of For Harambe (Rest in Peace Sweet Prince), a frantic punk anthem that would have smashed its way through the Evening Session.
The unlikely Sausagefest: The Musical! is, indeed, a song about sausages (as the lyrics helpfully remind us), while the band thrash away in a manner reminiscent of early Bloodhound Gang. Reboot Me sees the band continue to win hearts and minds with a track that harks back to the Buzzcocks at their most blistering, while Brother is simply a great punk track, with no distracting tomfoolery to get in the way of the sonic assault.
The first half comes to a dazed conclusion with There’s a Reason, which sees the band explain via the art of song why there are no drums for the first couple of minutes and were you to assume the track was written on the fly in the rehearsal room one night, you’d probably be right. Beano edges into full-on metal territory, as the band’s rage at the false news spread by the comic magazine. Shot through with ska because… well, of course… Beano sounds like Mike Patton of Faith No More being battered by Rancid.
The latter influence remains on the scuzzy Georgia, the band smashing out an earthy punk number, complete with the inspired chorus “woahhhhhhhhh Georgia”, which seems destined to be sung in the beer stained back rooms of pubs up and down the country.
Everything You Said starts off normally enough, only for a random drum ‘n’ bass rhythm to hurtle through the mix, while Rosie & Jim is a heavy highlight, with its scything riff and Undertones-esque vocal.
It's frantic, foolish, ferocious and fun in equal measure.
Songs for Harambe (Vol. 1) is OUT NOW!
