Household Name have a knack for picking up UK punk supergroups and in Former Cell Mates they have certainly grabbed another. With ex-members of Leatherface and The Mercury League in their ranks, they mix sounds such as Hot Water Music, Lucero and, to an extent, Bruce Springsteen to come up with an album as good as I’ve heard in this style for quite some time. From the brilliant, bluesy ‘Child Proof Cap’ to the more up front rock and roll of ‘Come January’, this is a great record from start to finish. It’s just one of those solid albums without a bad song. Although steeped in the sounds of more ‘punk’ bands, there’s a real soulful feel to David Lee Burdon’s vocals, which is where I guess the Lucero comparisons have come from.
The band have riffs in abundance and on ‘Party Tricks’ they flex their frets and fingers, but they’re just as good when they slow things down a lot. ‘Does He Make You Laugh?’ adds a country-esque element to their sound yet the album still flows and the band’s distinctive style remains theirs, even despite the obvious change musically. ‘Stolen Car Keys’ and ‘I’m Sorry Lucy’ bring the album to a close and it’s just one of those records you will spin over and over again. Top stuff.