Sleaford Mods
“Wonderful Cunts. That is all.”
That’s ideally what I’d like to have published however, due to the restrictions of word count and “professionalism” more of an explanation as to why I love this band is required. But hey it’s Sleaford fucking Mods so I couldn’t give a fuck!
Key Markets sees the boys from Nottingham, Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn, venture further into their own personal memoirs of working class life, supplemented by a certain attitude which can only be described as “fucked off”.
Mr. Williamson’s lyrics are as ever blunt and colourful, often hilarious with lines such as, “Do you want one? Fine, you know where the fucking shop is”, and, “We don’t want radio play, we’re not fucking Cannon and Ball”. The idea that a 19 year old lad from Liverpool, who’s practically only ever had to wipe his arse and blow his nose, can nod his head and go, “yeah, I know what he’s talking about there”, seems ridiculous in comparison with their 40-something year existence. But with every Sleaford album the content is so relevant and relatable, it’s hard not to laugh, smile and sometimes think long and hard about the state of this shithole country.
The incessant and throbbing instrumentation created by Andrew Fearn is also top notch; some people may be put off by its apparent simplicity, but the enjoyment for me lies within its energetic and groove ridden underbelly. If it was anymore “complicated” or featured guitar riffs and shitty effects, the words would probably be lost and less impactful, which would be a right fucking shame!
Some tracks on the album such as ‘No One’s Bothered’ could easily have been on their last album Divide And Exit (2014), but there is definitely a sense of progression with this record. The slower efforts such as ‘Tarantula Deadly Cargo’ and ‘Silly Me’ show that a Sleaford Mods song doesn’t have to be at break neck speed with loud shouting and a swear word every 2 seconds. And even if that’s a good thing, it’s nice to hear a slightly mellower Sleaford, with a cleaner sound and more emphasis on a song like approach. That’s not to say it’s watered down and tame at all, it feels more accessible. Their recent success has proven that they can reach wider audiences and play big corporate festivals without losing their personalities and getting swept up in all the hype and fanfare, and this ultimately shows in the music.
Other highlights here include ‘Live Tonight’, ‘In Quiet Streets’, ‘Giddy On The Ciggies’ and ‘Cunt Make It Up’, which all possess the key ingredients to make any Sleaford fan happy: humour, obscure references to pop culture, a dash of profanity, working man’s politics and wordplay John Cooper Clarke would be proud of.
The only thing disappointing about this is album is that it’s not fucking longer!
Release Date 24/07/2015 (Harbinger Sound)
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Liverpool born music writer with passion for punk and Everton FC
