A sort of dirty and remorseful folk-punk EP, ‘Be Grateful’ by Barefaced Cynics isn’t carrying 2011’s greatest production sparkle or vocal delivery, but therein seems to lie the charm – it’s stripped back, simple and angry, and it’s backroom, story-telling acoustic punk of the most honest variety.
There’s no doubt that this is certainly not going to be for everyone, and the lyrics are nothing if not “direct”, but for those looking for an alternative to the posier end of rock, there’s certainly much to connect with here.
Underneath all that, when Barefaced Cynics moves onto the next release, it’d be great to see some production that brings the songs to life, as sometimes the songs feel a little flat and it’s hard to distinguish if it’s the writing or the DIY feel of it that goes a little wide of the mark.
That said, ‘Be Grateful’ carries promise, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens next.