Friday 12.05.08: THE BRONX / CRYSTAL ANTLERS @ echo

The Bronx || Listen || Watch

“I am an addict, an animal/I am my father’s son” goes ‘Spanish Handshake’’s mantra, but it isn’t an apology. It’s a statement both of fact and of intent; hell, crank ‘Past Lives’ or ‘Ship High In Transit’ up and a billion clichés flood into your brain, primarily the desire to slam some booze down your throat and grab a perfect stranger before screaming all manner of obscenities in their face. This is what The Bronx do, so anyone who wants anything deeper will be left unsatisfied. Despite passing references to a changing industry led by demographics and marketing, there’s little attempt to coherently engage a world beyond the bottle – broken shards of stories and characters colourfully populate their songs but in terms of a thread, a concept? LA is a bit screwed up, let’s rock. Yet they’ve got the nous and the balls to pull this blunt assault off with verve.

It’s more a continuation of The Bronx than a reinvention, but so proficient are they at whipping up chaos on record (live, they’re more a barely controlled riot than a band) the fact it isn’t the coruscating blast of their debut doesn’t matter. It’s still a brilliantly sleazy punk rock’n’roll album that feels, sounds and smells just like you want The Bronx to be, and the fact it’s so pure and elemental works strongly in its favour. Play it loud; for 33 thrilling minutes it’ll make you feel like you can walk through walls. – NME

with:
Crystal Antlers