Flat-Pack Philosophy | Cooking Vinyl
By MATT ASHARE | June 6, 2006
RETURN TO FORM: On Flat-Pack Philosophy, the Buzzcocks do what they've always done best |
It’s always been something of a curse that the first major taste of the Buzzcocks’ brand of sharp, economical, pop-punk laments Americans were treated to was 1979’s Singles Going Steady (IRS), a disc that collected all of the Manchester band’s best British singles. From start to finish, it was an instant punk classic, delivering meaty hook after hook without an ounce of filler. But there was a catch: the Buzzcocks had started their career in the US with what would go down as their one truly essential release. How do you follow that? By ’82, singer/guitarist Pete Shelley had his first solo album, Homosapien (Arista), on shelves, and the Buzzcocks were history. The alternative ’90s brought Shelley and the band’s other singer/guitarist, Steve Diggle, back together under the Buzzcocks banner. A pop band at heart, with a wry, occasionally abrasive world view and the big guitars to back it up, they had a big hand in inventing the clean, crisp blueprint for pop punk. That too was a bit of a trap: Shelley and Diggle have had limited success over the past decade trying to break that mold. But on Flat-Pack Philosophy, they’ve given in to what they’ve always done best, that Singles Going Steady mix of hooky pop melodies, overdriven guitars, brisk tempos, and bristling lyrics that delve into social commentary and broken relationships. The production’s a bit bigger, the vocal harmonies are tighter, and Shelley and Diggle write from the perspective of the older men they now are. But from start to finish, Flat-Pack marks a welcome return to classic Buzzcocks form.BUZZCOCKS + ADORED + CHOKE | june 11 | Axis, 13 Lansdowne St, Boston | 617.228.6000
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The Buzzcocks: http://www.buzzcocks.com/
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