The Punk Site 2022 Top 20: Buzzcocks – Sonics In The Soul

At number 7 in The Punk Site’s contributors top 20 from 2022 is the second of the UK’s old school punk bands to make the list, it’s Buzzcocks with their first post Pete Shelley era album, Sonics In The Soul. The legendary Manchester punk band need little introduction. Back in 1977, they gave birth to a generation of independent labels with their debut EP, Spiral Scratch. Thereafter, their melodic punk pop proved irresistible, leading to hit singles and three landmark albums. They broke up in 1981 but reunited in 1989 and have been going steady ever since. Sadly Pete Shelley passed away in 2018, but founder member Steve Diggle has kept the flag flying. During the COVID pandemic Steve, alongside bassist Chris Remington and drummer Danny Farrant, busied themselves recording Sonics In The Soul, their first new studio offering since 2014’s The Way.

“Certain circumstances surrounding their latest album, Sonics of the Soul, have the potential to be divisive. The most significant being that the album marks the first in eight years and the first since the sudden and unexpected death of vocalist Pete Shelley. Succeeded by the band’s long standing guitarist, Steve Diggle, the band has branded the new album as the start of a “new era” for The Buzzcocks.  Understandably, the community will be divided into two camps: those that feel the band should have retired with Shelley’s death (similar to what happened with No Use For A Name) and those that breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the legacy will continue. And then of course there are those like me – an outsider that never really took too closely to the band but always respected their legacy and output.  For what it’s worth, Sonics In the Soul isn’t what I thought it would be (a rough and tumble punk rock album) – but despite expectations, I ended up appreciating every minute of it.” (Cole Faulkner September 2022)