SKIV – No Context Bangers

SKIV released this debut album on Friday 13th May, was this a wise choice or simply a well thought out kick in the face to superstition, I prefer the latter.  No Context Bangers comes at a time that the pop-punk scene is starting to reinvent itself in the UK, its taking what originated in the U.S.A with the likes of Green Day being at the vanguard, a band that’s not left out totally within this album, the wonderfully titled ‘Deck You (in the Schnozz)’  has a London street, East Bay crossover sound, and wonderful it is too. 

In fact there are so many comparisons that could be thrown at what is after all a punk album that never loses sight of it’s influences, but there are also so many seminal and exciting moments intricately threaded within the eclectic sounds that emanate from this modern wonder of an album.  ‘Skivilicious’ stands out in a crowd that’s for sure, its smacks of NOFX, yet it doesn’t either, with the inclusion of a of the wonderful Greebo half way through, the song just metamorphoses into an art form of a song, “it doesn’t work” I here the pop-punk purists saying, “well yes it fucking does” I say, out with the predictable!, I personally love the way boundaries are pushed with this SKIV band.

What we have here is a band that has taken the history of punk and just scribbled all over it, a bit of graffiti never hurt anyone, in fact it can and does in this case work perfectly.

Songs like ‘Thumbprint’ that drives along like a Bad Religion melodic banger, then there’s ‘Off The Nut’ which wears its Alkaline Trio heart on its sleeve, as powerful and evocative as you could ever want from a break up song.  Emotional and down to earth is what you could say about the lyrical content throughout, it never really tries to be anything other than life encompassing, songs for and against relationships, songs that open up the scars that remind you you’re alive.

‘Talk All You Want, But You Better Convince Yourself First’ the longest title I’ve seen in a while, encompasses everything mentioned in the earlier comments, all within the obligatory yet still brilliant acoustic track.

It’s so life affirming to find music that is made by a generation that has learned from other generations and added spice to the mix.  Go into this album with only your ears and your heart, come out the other side with reasons to know Punk “defiantly” still lives, and grows even stronger thanks to bands like SKIV.

Go buy and never look back, well a little glance over the shoulder maybe.

Out on INiit Records now.

Go check out the band themselves on BANDCAMP and FACEBOOK