Flies On You come out of the seemingly endless band factory that is Yorkshire these days. In this case they are part of the Leeds DIY Punk scene.
It's always good to start a punk album with a burst of feedback and that's what greets the listener at the start of Hangdog the opening song on this nicely spiky album. It sounds a bit like MX-80 and other similar early 80's post punk groups although not many of them sang about prolapsed hemorrhoids.
Katie Hopkins In A Human Form was obviously recorded before she became the nation's least favourite human cockroach and for those of us who had avoided her until this latest faux pas it helps us to know she has always been a hateful flea feeding on the carcass of Murdoch and a real member of the great unwashed.
Can You Smell That Burning Noise? is all Gang Of Four choppy guitars and features almost goth-punk shards of 80's keyboards as they ask if you can taste the flaking paint. It has the obtuseness of The Wedding Present while remaining pretty catchy. People Like Pete doesn't sound like it's about Pete Burns but that would be no stranger than wanting to be friends with a random Pete in the street.
Roof-Space goes all dubby and a bit Linton Kwesi Johnson but not quite as righteous. Nonetheless, it has a good skank to it. All Out Of Proportion strafes us with military drumming and splenetic guitars that are in severely small portions as it's over far too quick.
Our Little Secret is that this is a damn good album; well worth buying and with some wonderfully sardonic and deadpan vocals that will grow on you very easily indeed. The song itself could easily be about the Greville Janner question posed as if it's Wasted Youth asking the question. If you get my drift.
You're The Anaesthetist, John is dark twisted electro pop that has the sort of haunted face you'll need for the next song. Thank You, St Francis has a long sample by the evil queen of twisted rap, Margaret Thatcher, before the retort comes and says what needs to be said of the evil witch.
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Action Stations is a proper old school agit-pop keyboard-led rant against the stupid rules of a modern society and government and sounds perfect set against the current farce of an election. Yes, please bring down the government and do it NOW!
Ugly Cousins in a nice keyboards dirge with a real Etienne Daho vibe to it, complete with French lyrics too. Very cool. If I had heard it on a compilation I'd have guessed mid 80's French Virgin and I really like this song. Poor Excuse, meanwhile, goes snarly street-punk with an almost gang-punk delivery.
Method Actor is again sort of Gang of Four-ish with a dark dancehall vibe to it, while Mysterious Jill's sparse drumming and swirling organ encase the mysterious story of the crime scene down at the death disco.
The album ends with the guttural burst of Swine Hero: more guitar strafing and twitchy lyrics. It's a bit Joy Division on speed on damaged goods. A damn fine ending to the sort of album that rewards repeated listening and will be the perfect soundtrack to the coalition chaos coming our way.
Flies On You online
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