The Spitfires have launched themselves into the minds and ears of the sussed society and their debut album 'Response' is on its way!
After a string of successful, well received singles coupled with a blistering live set The Spitfires have gained a reputation that many unsigned bands around today can only dream of!
Frontman Billy is the definition of a true Modernist. He looks forward and wants to live in the now. 2015. The Spitfires don't just impress you, they engage you, they make you want to be a part of their movement.
So join me on this track by track review of their debut album 'Response'!
Listen to it properly, take it in, The Spits will make you believe that there's still good young music out there!
Track 01: 'Disciples'
What an opener! 1 2 3 4! and we're off! Bitey, sharp and fast is what 'Disciples' is and it really makes you listen. It grabs your attention from the off and the production on this track is second to none! "I'm stomping through the maze of a newly built estate, where the people move in time against the pavement" Stunning lyrics echo throughout which paint the picture of the mundane and make it beautiful. "And by Monday morning we will sink to the minimum wage" a line which many can relate to.
The Spits say what they are feeling and what is out there, they don't try and sugarcoat the world and make it seem better than it is. We need more bands like this. The band sound very tight in this tune and as a whole ensemble they are unstoppable! "Three years at Cambridge is a joke coz they're all the same" fucking magic that one Billy son!
It sticks it to all those bellends who think that the only way you can measure success is through a university education and through what degree you have. I'm at Uni and it's decent but I know many successful people who didn't have much of an education and didn't want one!
'Disciples' is the right way to start an album, take note kids.
The band finish with an acapella styled sing a long of the last lyrics. Tidy.
Track 02: 'Tell Me'
Remastered and re-imagined 'Tell Me' takes on its third life and its sounding as good as ever. I've always liked this track ever since I first heard it on The Spitfires EP which was from the bands first ever line up. Clean cords and smooth basslines bring this track to life and seduce the listener from the off! "Identity is what she craves" cries out what most teens think at some point through those difficult years of your life.
This tune reminds me of "Away From The Numbers" and how the protagonist wants to escape the crowd and be their own person. With the added ingredient of Chris on Keyboard, 'Tell Me' has even more to give the listener. Great track lads!
Track 03: 'Escape Me'
Brass adds to the infectious opening of this belter and gives it that Dexy's/Council feel. 'Escape Me' is full throttle, in yer face and ready to rumble with the best of them.
Billy's lyrics are relevant and drive the song along with passion and punch. The band are very tight and together. Everything falls into place here and really shows just how much The Spitfires have to offer as a band.
The Brass again is something which I cannot take my ears off in this one. It comes to a sublime climax at the end of the song and echoes 'Over The Counter Culture' Magic!
Track 04: "Spoke Too Soon'
Now this is a song that I feel is one where you cannot compare the sound it creates to any other obvious artist. This is The Spitfires in their purist form, playing a song they really believe in! The guitar is calm and steady with its own added groove, its jangly and gives the tune a funk edge.
This tune slows the album down and proves to the listener that the band can play both loud and soft. The Spitfires once again break the shackles of the conventions they have been tied with so many times and give the 'You sound like...' Brigade a well deserved kick up the arse!
Track 05: 'Relapse'
The B-side of the single 'Im Holdin' On' and what a tune it is too! Distorted and raw is what 'Relapse' is to me! It starts off in an almost religious manner with harmonic choral notes being sung. Then it's into the action. The guitar is sharp and the drums deep. The bass flows effortlessly throughout and the keyboards are as present and fitting as ever.
This tune shows how the band have evolved and progressed as a unit. It’s mean and angry and subtle and beautiful at the same time. A really underrated tune and one which makes the album stand out among the shite being churned out by Radio 1.
Track 06: 'Stand Down'
Modern Shakespeare, this tune is true to the modern world which we live in! "Spend a lifetime ignoring the fashion!" something I have done since age 11, and still do to this day! This is Billy speaking about the world which is currently forming around us, bleak and boring with the addition of a stuck up Tory government. Joy.
"Get a job and fight to keep it, get a degree and you'll never need it!" This goes on from day to day, from month to month, from year to year! This is England 2015! The Spitfires paint a picture here, one which many know to be true but are too afraid to say so! Spikey and in yer face 'Stand Down' is more relevant than most of the books you read in school, it has all you need to know about the modern world in just over three minutes! Cheers lads you've educated many with this one! Your modern day answer to 'Stand Down Margaret'.
Track 07: 'Serenade Part 1'
This track comes in the middle of the album and shows just how musically artistic The Spitfires can be. Fantastic is just one word to describe it. Strings and Brass lead the way and give you a different edge to the band. It's calming and revolutionary.
Its reminiscent of 'Elizabeth My Dear' on The Stone Roses' self titled debut. A great way to give the album another taste of the bands musical ability!
Track 08: 'I'm Holdin' On'
Powerful and energetic 'I'm Holdin' On' drags you back into The Spitfires raw energy and passion for their sound. Loud guitar, clashy drums and prominent bass lines this one doesn't just let you listen it gives you something to think about! It hits you right in the face and gives you a band to believe in again.
It's such a powerful song, a song which makes you stand to attention. This tune gets a crowd moving and football lads chanting about their team and their town! Believe me I've witnessed it! It could easily cause a small, but naughty riot!
Taking all the best from the past and using it to create their own musical tornado The Spits will scare a lot of the Tweed wearing, Banjo playing bands with this one!
Track 09: 'Spark To Start'
The bands first single from back in 2012, and what a tune it has become! Re-recorded and freshened up, 'Spark To Start' has taken on a whole new life form. It packs a punch and is direct from the start. This one is sure to get any sized foot tapping along to the beat. I've always liked this one, the momentum from the off is enough to power a Vespa PX200 for a few hours!
One thing about this album is the fact that the bass is always prominent and a real driving force behind most tracks. Billy's lyrics are spot on and the band are a musical force to be reckoned with! The song comes to a chaotic end with drums, guitar, bass and keyboard all doing their bit. Awesome.
Track 10: 'Words To Say'
With the addition of strings the opening this track is absolutely unstoppable! When classical meets new mod, two genres that strangely fit perfectly together! This track has always had that SKA edge and this is evident again in this new album version.
Loud, brash and ready to go 'Words To Say' is just want you want to liven up your day. The strings give it that Britpop edge I feel, like The Verve's tunes. A track that will turn a quiet youthy on a Friday night into a rowdy one.
This one is sure to feature in the up and coming live shows and will get the crowd moving front to back. Another fast paced, energetic, soulful track that will be an instant hit with the sussed.
Track 11: 'When I Call Out Your Name'
English Rose esque guitar begins this and calms the listener down immediately. The lyrics are sharp and true. The production value is fantastic and then they hit you again with both barrels, the whole band kick in! The brass sounds particularly fantastic in this track, poking out in between each guitar part adding that Council/Dexy's sound in there again.
This song for me is the band getting everyone to dance their rhythm and join them on their journey. The Spitfires aren't just a band but are a modern movement. They go against everything you see and hear in the media.
They make you realise that there is still hope in these times of political austerity and most of all they make you proud to be working class! 'When I Call Out Your Name' is a real party tune and one that will make you sing the lyrics back to the lads. Great stuff.
Track 12: 'Serenade Part 2'
Another lovely segment of Strings here, it's a bit of music which shows you just how musically talented the boys are! It takes you to the final track in the album with you knowing how much of a good time you have had listening to this relevant, honest, bitey debut album.
Track 13: '4am'
A tale of modern life, '4am' describes the everyday struggles that people go through and it's absolutely brilliant at doing so too. Carrying on what Tom Clarke did in 2007 Billy Sullivan gives the real life struggle new meaning in 2015. "But my friends they don't care, coz they'll make sure that they're never there!"
Scarily relevant that lyric, a lot of the time people really don't give a fuck unless it affects them! "But the water runs cold and there's damp on the walls" sounds like the endless searches I've had for shitty student housing that one. '4am' gives you the harsh reality of modern life and puts it into a song which you can sing with pride.
The government should change the curriculum and put the lyrics of this tune into GCSE English Lit classes instead of the likes of 'Of Mice and Men' it would prepare the youth of today a little more! '4am' is a modern masterpiece and is my favourite song on the album.
The reason being it gives you the mundane and really makes you think about what's going on around you!
So there we have it! 'Response' is an album created by four passionate, young musicians who will change the sound of British Guitar Music. Give this album a listen, listen to its message and its meaning. This is forward thinking Modernism in its rawest form. For the people who say "All music nowadays is shit!"
Buy a copy of 'Response' and then you will realise that there are bands who are trying and succeeding on breaking the Mould.
This is an album you don't want to miss out on! Well done lads it has been an absolute pleasure writing this review.
