Single Review: Staggs – Adult Loonies EP

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Staggs

Adult Loonies - German Shepherd Records

Staggs is Michael Scott and Paul Ridley, the duo used to be core members in the Newcastle, UK anarcho punk band Reality Control back in the 1980s. Their recent releases have been characterised by a more electronic sound, but they appear to have gone back to their roots for the Adult Loonies EP. The title of the EP relates to their debut release, Weird Kids EP, so this may indicate that the band have matured, at least physically, whilst simultaneously imitating and revisiting their past.

The lead track, Gone For A Burton, features a cross between new wave, anarcho and punk styles, and it’s certainly as catchy as anything, vocally it’s reminiscent of a demented delivery by Howard Devoto, the original Buzzcocks vocalist and front man of Magazine. Musically it’s pure late 70’s punk and early 80’s early new wave, but that’s not the end of the story, the track features vocal samples and knowing references to moments of pop culture, and I found that every time I played this track it grew on me, the infectious and subtle charms of this track are not to be underestimated. It’s A Larf picks up where the first track left off, but in a slightly more strident manner, it alternates between a weirdly snarled verse and an upbeat post punk chorus that carries more menace and strangeness that its predecessor.

The Adult Loonies EP features two brand new tracks that are performed, with their tongues firmly in the cheeks, in the punk style of their youth, if you are a fan of old school punk rock and new wave then this really should be on your Xmas list. Gone For A Burton is easily the stronger of the two tracks, It’s A Larf comes across as the B Side of this release, but both tracks feature a combination of punk rock attitude, new wave rhythm and post punk stylings that I find oddly appealing. On the basis of the two tracks on the Adult Loonies EP I hope that Staggs make further efforts to recreate their past glories.

The Adult Loonies EP can be streamed and purchased here