Coughin’ Vicars – Curses And Prayers

This is a band on the same label as Bob Vylan and Meryl Streek, so that’s already got my attention.  Coughin’ Vicars are an 80’s infused punk band from Liverpool, UK who play hard and going by this latest album, record hard too. Curses & Prayers is a twelve track album thats sets out not to be the macho punk album, but an album that thinks evenly in a musical world thats never as even as it should be.

The first thing that hits you when touching play on track one ‘Lo And Behold’ is the power that emanates from the bass, a darkness thats grips you until the synth of Gabriella washes over and softens things.  This is only a precursor to what about to come though, songs that have the punk angst, yet deliver it with a sense of purpose and care, ‘Anti-Faction’ is filled with this. ‘Rips Of Rain’ is the first song that gives you that 80’s indie side, a combination of Joy Division and Sisters Of Mercy with a hint of Kate Bush ripped through its centre, this is a fighting for purpose kind song.  

When you get to ‘One Cuff Fits All’ its one of the few times in the album that the influence of DC hardcore comes out directly and powerfully, a straight up rail against authority, ‘Last But Not Least’ is the other, fast, furious and to the point! What’s very very refreshing in this album is the lack of fear that exists, its a non genre confined piece of work, it picks out what it wants from the world and never apologises for it, in fact it revels in it. Just listen to ‘The Act’ and wonder at it’s punk credentials, yet love how it has that need to bleed out all over the musical floor, ‘Doomsday Lottery’ does this so well too. 

This is a dark album that drips with blood and sweat, but its those moments that when pulled together make it an uplifting album, its a powerful stretching of the boundaries that might confine so many other bands, it wants to be more and it does it with ease.

Out on July 26th Via Venn Records

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