The White Ribbons – Not An Original Bone In Our Body

Where to start? The White Ribbons are unswerving, dedicated supporters of White Ribbon UK, the UK’s leading charity engaging men and boys to end violence against women and girls, and The Sophie Lancaster Foundation who are dedicated to stamping out prejudice, hatred and intolerance everywhere. 100% committed to inclusivity, just take a look at SORM Studios in Bradford on either a working day or a gig night and you’ll understand perfectly the meaning of being inclusive.

Now, finally, after what seems an eternity The White Ribbons are set to release their debut album. This reviewer fell in love not only with their music and lyrics but with their whole attitude towards life back in 2019. Their self-titled debut single showed them to be not only a band delivering songs packed full of melodies and tunes you can dance around to but songs that cried out about so many ills of the world. Follow up three track EP, Leftovers, showed no let-up in The White Ribbons’ ability to break your heart whilst at exactly the same time feel both emotionally charged and joyous. 

Not An Original Bone In Our Body is everything one could wish for in an album. The White Ribbons are absolute masters at shouting loud and clear about everything that is wrong in today’s society and the things that can destroy us emotionally but being able to match this anger with tunes that are real earworms, that make you want to sing along, jump around your room or simply tap your feet whilst bashing out the drum beat on your desk is perfection. Those first two EPs are included but not in their original form. In fact the whole album steps up in it’s ferocity. From the hard, rocky edge of opener Lady P, the guitars of Andrew Illingworth and Brian Mitchell cut right through you whilst the underlying bass riffs and pounding drums courtesy of Tony Saunders and John Bolton at times shake you to the core. 

Mitchell is also the vocalist and truly wears his heart on his sleeve with emotions that are clear for all to see. Whether it’s anger at the way older men seem to think they can act around young women (Carcrash) or domestic violence (Greatest Man), the frustration of not being listened to or burying your head in the sand rather than tackling social issues (Burst) you can feel him willing us to stand up and be counted, to never turn a blind eye and to act when we see wrong.

‘Pop punk’ and ‘punky pop’ are lazy ways to describe music but in the bands own words “We are punks by design but pop kittens through and through”. And there’s no better way to describe this album. The attitude, emotions and opinions are pure punk and if pop can be defined by ‘a good rhythm, catchy melody, strong beat and easy to remember lyrics’ then this is a pop punk classic. But it’s not all fast-paced rock n roll. Leftovers, Mitchell’s outpouring of grief following the death of David Bowie, is quite possibly the greatest song ever written about loss. Atmospheric, heartbreaking and at times a soaring noise. Sophie keeps the memory of Sophie Lancaster alive, bouncing along on a wave of slicing guitars and rolling drums whilst reminding us that someone looking different is no excuse for violence. More than remembering Sophie it’s a rallying cry to make sure hate crime of any description is eradicated.

With Not An Original Bone In Our Body‘ The White Ribbons have shown beyond doubt they’re one of the few bands with that rare ability to capture every emotion it’s possible to feel. Songs that lure you into a state of joyful, punk party happiness whilst constantly reminding you that we’re surrounded by social issues that need tackling by us all, songs that make you weep, songs that make you dance and songs that simply make you smile. Listen to Have A Nice Day and it’s a certainty you’ll be humming it until you retire to bed. And of course Fred, the live favourite with it’s scathing commentary on the post-Mercury Queen closes the album in a way only a song such as this can do.

So what about that title? Quite simply The White Ribbons have acknowledged their influences and, at the same time, flawlessly blended some timeless lyrics by other artists into one or two songs. But you’ll need to buy and listen to this splendid album to find out what they are. For those who have never heard of The White Ribbons this album could mean you’ve now found your new favourite band. For those who already know and love their songs Not An Original Bone In Our Body is exactly what we’ve been waiting for. Suddenly those four years were worth it. Album of the year so far? For me, definitely.

Not An Original Bone In Our Body will be released at Rebellion Festival on August 3rd and will be available on both the STP Records stall and also on the Streetlife / White Ribbons stall. The album is now available to pre-order via STP Records.