The Straps
The Punk Collection
By Jillian Abbene
(SugarBuzz Wash DC/Richmond VA)
SugarBuzz Magazine
Along with the handful of bands that came out of the 1977 lineup, The Straps endured their share of loss, hiatus, and shifting new band members with a new line-up along with a first ever CD release of, ‘The Punk Collection.’
Many have crowned The Straps to have invented punkabilly, but there’s one claim for sure--these guys have been underrated and deserve serious recognition. How did such a great talent slip by? I don’t know. In this day, where faux punk-faux rock bands are a dime a dozen, I can only distinguish the true punk spirit between trend and classic, and make no mistake; The Straps are classic and timeless. Sharing the history stage with now-known heavies such as the UK Subs, and The Damned, The Straps are now permanently woven into the same fabric. Despite the multiple yet impressive lineups over the years, and then disbanding before ever cresting after 1983, the comeback lineup invokes the same early punk rock sound that I consistently crave.
‘The Punk Collection’ is a clever way to reintroduce what made them so popular in the first place. With songs like, “Can’t Take Anymore,” a punkabilly classic makes a great introduction for past sold-out venues. With outspoken Jock Strap on lead vocals, his voice is undeniably in the same range of John Lydon’s and gives a further PIL feel to the sound.
I kept hearing hints of sounds of The Ruts throughout the songs as Jock pushes out vocals and old school grinding of fast guitars in, “Brixton,” that streams with charged chords just begging for pogoing and flailing. In lyrics such as, ‘A Kentucky Fried Chicken and a few chip shops/Quite a few punks and too many cops/Ah, life in Brixton, feel the heat/too much trouble in the street/But I’m not going to leave/I’ve got nothing else, nothing else to achieve…” can be as plausible in the UK and anywhere in middle America for that matter. “No Liquor” is my favorite. Like crouching down during a fire, deep drum thuds on bass with background high pitch riff-layering adds a nice touch. Favorite mention to “Ex-Directory” on ‘verb and scratch with switching cymbal and drum as momentum builds with raw sound.
This is a band that will hit their stride. As they tour the UK and hopefully planning their sprawling sound to smack the USA this year, I predict they will again have a strong following. Like needling to the end of a ball of yarn…. Where substance is over image…Melody is over forced…. Straight and effortless punk rock.
P.S. Check out their my space page and listen to “Insanity,” lining up with the heavies of Rat Scabies and Jah Wobble and Stam Stammers from The Plastic Eaters in the remix of “Brixton.”