Thirteen – Ego Trap

To reverse Howard Devoto‘s dismissive comment on leaving Buzzcocks, Thirteen really have managed to make what some might have called a clean old hat unhealthily fresh again. Ego Trap is a rip-roaring and tumultuous blast through some of the defining moments of punk rock history that, paradoxically and simultaneously, does not at any point sound anything but contemporary and completely of its own time. That’s a bonus for those of us old enough to recognise those moments, but you could come to this without that baggage and be ignited by the sheer power and glory of these six tracks.

But Thirteen can deliver way more than just a tip of the hat to familiar forms. This is dirty rock ‘n roll, the immortal kind that really needs no excuses and offers no apologies. Blazing in with the rabble-rousing and Pistols-esque Wannabes, Has-Beens and Ne’er Do Wells, the band set the tone for what is a surprisingly varied collection of instant favourites. I Am The Fire is a bass driven heavy metal riff fest but it is the galloping Pearls And Piss that rises above the rest of this EP. It’s classic pop-punk with a strong flavour of the Good Vibrations roster from back in the day in its tuneful riffing, guitar motifs and heart-wrenching melody – a song of this time and of that time and maybe a sign of some kind of universal celtic musical kinship that transcends time and location.

Never Wrong returns us to filthy, noisy, uplifting rock. Every band needs a manifesto, and in the epic Trampled Flag, Thirteen re-expose their softer side. This package ends with the band’s calling card, the magnificent eponymous Thirteen that is as brutal a sonic cold call as you will ever receive. Thirteen are eternal, you can’t keep them down. On the evidence of this piece, they’ve only just started. Long live Thirteen.

Ego Trap is now available via streaming platforms and Bandcamp