Lets be honest, FLW have been around longer than 98% of people who read this site can remember – including myself. I played with them years ago. They haven’t really tried to change much on the evidence of this record. I don’t think that was their intention. It’s punk that I’m sure would appeal to fans of most of the artists on Hopeless records. It’s gruff as hell. And this record is produced by one Frankie Stubbs.
I think FLW word suffer from a similar affliction to a lot of bands who’ve been around for a while – they get judged on their past and get lost in the crowd, labelled as mediocre. I am as guilty (albeit subconsciously) as anyone for making these assumptions. So I’m please to say that this record hit me for just being really rather good. It’s got that Leatherface mark to it thanks to Mr Stubbs, but that aside the tunes are also pretty addictive. It reminds me a bit of the first couple of Pinhead Gunpowder records, or Against All Authority when they aren’t ska-ing it up. This album is trying to bring scratchy guitars and 1 string riffs back – and it’s a damn good attempt at it.
Mike