SpenniesSteppin' Razor - These Pictures
July 3rd 2006 03:40
STEPPIN' RAZOR
These Pictures (2005)
Independent
Link to band website w/ mp3's
Steppin' Razor are a reasonably new Sydney band who started out in 2004 and have since self-released two EP's, These Pictures being the second. They play a mix of punk with ska and reggae in a similar vein to Rancid, Operation Ivy and The Clash. Despite their influences being easy to pin, I think they have quite a unique sound, the addition of saxophone helping to set them apart.
The six tracks on offer here follow up in the same delivery as the first self-titled EP, with simple, upbeat sing-a-long tunes rounded out with raspy lead vocals and gang-style backing vocals. They branch out a bit however, adding instruments such as hammond organ, accordian, and melodica to make for a more interesting sound. I think the songs are really well written, they're instantly catchy but don't give away everything upon first listen. The lyrics follow mainly political and social themes, as hinted at from the cover art (a collection of images depicting war, refugee camps, nuclear explosions etc), but don't come across as generic topics. The opener "Desperation" is a cool street-punk song, very catchy and reminds me a bit of Brisbane punks The Disables. The title track "These Pictures" is my personal favourite on offer, it's a great ska-flavoured song that makes good use of the sax to create an interesting blend of sounds, mixed with Andy's rough voice and an impressive Matt Freeman style bass solo, it shows the band really coming into their own and doing something quite unique in a mostly generic genre.
"Kingston & Liberty" is pure upbeat 2-tone style ska, with good use of organ to build up the sound. This is a really fun song that's extremely dance-able. The next two songs return to the punk side of things, "Corporate Police" a bit more folky, and it's pretty catchy, but I think it's a little simple in approach. "Monsanto" is another interesting one, which is pretty biting politically charged punk rock that has a bridge that reminds me a bit of Link 80. Something different for the band but I think they tackle it well, another favourite of mine. The last track "Back Dock" really slows things down, it's a rootsy reggae number that has come across awesome on record. They extended it to include a long instrumental break where it really strips back and has some cool saxophone and melodica solo's.
All in all, it's a very strong EP for this style of music. Normally I get bored with the generic nature of these types of bands, but Steppin' Razor has something in their chemistry that gives them a bit of an edge. If you're a fan of Rancid or The Clash then I recommend you to check these guys out.
These Pictures (2005)
Independent
Link to band website w/ mp3's
The six tracks on offer here follow up in the same delivery as the first self-titled EP, with simple, upbeat sing-a-long tunes rounded out with raspy lead vocals and gang-style backing vocals. They branch out a bit however, adding instruments such as hammond organ, accordian, and melodica to make for a more interesting sound. I think the songs are really well written, they're instantly catchy but don't give away everything upon first listen. The lyrics follow mainly political and social themes, as hinted at from the cover art (a collection of images depicting war, refugee camps, nuclear explosions etc), but don't come across as generic topics. The opener "Desperation" is a cool street-punk song, very catchy and reminds me a bit of Brisbane punks The Disables. The title track "These Pictures" is my personal favourite on offer, it's a great ska-flavoured song that makes good use of the sax to create an interesting blend of sounds, mixed with Andy's rough voice and an impressive Matt Freeman style bass solo, it shows the band really coming into their own and doing something quite unique in a mostly generic genre.
"Kingston & Liberty" is pure upbeat 2-tone style ska, with good use of organ to build up the sound. This is a really fun song that's extremely dance-able. The next two songs return to the punk side of things, "Corporate Police" a bit more folky, and it's pretty catchy, but I think it's a little simple in approach. "Monsanto" is another interesting one, which is pretty biting politically charged punk rock that has a bridge that reminds me a bit of Link 80. Something different for the band but I think they tackle it well, another favourite of mine. The last track "Back Dock" really slows things down, it's a rootsy reggae number that has come across awesome on record. They extended it to include a long instrumental break where it really strips back and has some cool saxophone and melodica solo's.
All in all, it's a very strong EP for this style of music. Normally I get bored with the generic nature of these types of bands, but Steppin' Razor has something in their chemistry that gives them a bit of an edge. If you're a fan of Rancid or The Clash then I recommend you to check these guys out.
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