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It only takes about thirty seconds for BOOZE & GLORY to launch into the first “oi, oi, oi” of their new album. It’s been six years since the last one, but Whiskey Tango Foxtrot makes it feel like they never left; it’s a riotous blast of working-class punk, full of gang chants and upbeat vibes. Like their previous work, it’s the musical version of sinking too many pints on a night out, throwing your arms around your mates’ shoulders and having a grand old time. It’s thoroughly unpretentious, optimistic in the face of hardship, and we had loads of fun with it.
Coming across like a bunch of good-natured lads who went on a stag night and a decade later, are still on it, BOOZE & GLORY are little more than the dictionary definition of street punk. And that’s why they’re so entertaining! They write short, fast, punk songs peppered with British slang and this record is full of drunken bravado. The likes of Boys Will Be Boys and Rocky Road are catchy, and very easy to enjoy. Even at their most emotional, such as on the anthemic I Would Die For You, these tracks are full of gang chants and lyrics designed to be hollered at full volume.
Which is partly why it’s so easy to overlook the guitar on the first few listens. Guitarists Khazan and Manny Anzaldo spend the entire record tossing out memorable hooks, fast riffs and even the occasional solo. Their spirited fretwork is initially overshadowed by the bare-chested vocals, but on the second or third play through you start noticing how good it is. The duo keep the pace up and they may be the unsung heroes of the record.
Admittedly, not every song on here hits with complete success, but even the weaker cuts are authentic and heartfelt. Legends for example, isn’t quite as good as the other songs. It slows the momentum, but not enough to disrupt proceedings, and it still feels like it written with genuine love.
And the album ends on a high note too. Till The Last Breath is a raucous celebration of life packed with down-to-earth life lessons, then it’s capped off with The One And Only, a rare acoustic number that sounds like a bunch of intoxicated lads in flat caps toasting a lost comrade (because that’s probably what it is.) Whiskey Tango Foxtrot isn’t a complicated album, but it is full of charm and our only major complaint is that it turned up to late to be the soundtrack to our summer barbecues. Finished your shift down the mines, our lad? Sling your hook down pub and put BOOZE & GLORY on jukebox. Oi, oi, oi!
Rating: 8/10
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is out now via Concrete Jungle Records.
Follow BOOZE & GLORY on Instagram.
The post ALBUM REVIEW: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot – Booze & Glory appeared first on Distorted Sound Magazine.
