I have very little background on Waffle. I’ve seen them live a few times, and know that the majority (if not all) of the members are still in school. They also live on my street. How my tiny road has produced at least 5 alternative bands in the last decade I have no idea, but I digress. This CD is 8 tracks (including a crackly 1920’s gramophone style intro track, in the same style as the Mad Caddies “Falling Downâ€) but to be honest, you can ignore all of the above spiel, because now that I’ve heard this CD a few times the stated facts are almost hard to believe.
The production on this recording isn’t bad. The brass has got that very whiney tone in the same way the King Prawn releases did, and I did briefly gasp when I heard something sounding so alike in the production sense. The guitar is very strong, The Bass is neat and the vocals can sometimes get muddied beneath it all, but it’s not so bad. I’d be disappointed if I’d paid big money for it mind you.
The songs themselves are varied, flicking effortlessly between clean and dirty guitar, all with horn lines that you find yourself humming at quiet moments. I didn’t enjoy the drumming (lots of out of time sections, and a bit scrappy at time) but it’s very adequate. This CD isn’t without faults though. The singing can go right through you in places, and the constant cymbal ringing could have all the dogs in the neighbourhood making a beeline for your CD player.
The whole shebang is put together well with some real “wow†moments, but this is in all honesty a 4ft Fingers influenced ska-Punk-Rock record with plenty of sing a longs and hum a longs. If pretension free ska punk tickles your fancy though, this is for you. And like I say, you’d never guess these guys were a few fellas practicing in a garage.