PUSHBIKE ARMY are three punks from the North whose single and cover artwork say a lot about damaged streets, a living memory of riots, and daily experience of tension in a fractured community. Alexandra Grove is a real street in Leeds 6. It looks OK. It has trees and grass. There's a Methodist Church, a boxing gym and an International Supermarket round just round the corner. Even so, living there might make you as jumpy as this single. The picture shows the band (and friends) leaving. They're round the corner and on their way somewhere else. The song itself starts with a n apprehensive dawn in London, with some kind of retribution in mind. The story is not spelt out but it's heart is right there on the sleeve.
It's the best kind of punk record - a short angry blast with enough of a tune in it to carry round that corner and sharp rasping guitar that lifts you far enough out of the slough to shift your arse in a good way. The sound is razor sharp. "We want someone to pay!" shouts John Rennie, and the song rushes on with some great o! oooh!s and "Let's bring some change!" It's actually over three minutes, but it seems shorter. It's a belter.
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"FAREWELL TO MY FASCIST FRIEND" is more of the same. The chorus isn't quite as strong, but the energy, sentiment and tightness are ripped from the same punchy pogoing seam. John Roberts on bass and Chris Hide on drums whip it along like the old days. You've got to be good to keep it this simple and still be exciting.
Proving my point about the quality of the song in FOUR FROM ALEXANDRA GROVE, there's a piano/bowed bass version as a bonus, beautifully played and rich enough to tweak a tear from a Leeds United supporter's eye.
www.pushbikearmy.co.uk
www.last.fm/music/Pushbike+Army
www.myspace.com/pushbikearmy
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