ALBUM REVIEW: Loaded 44 – In The City (self-released)
Loaded 44 have been mainstays of the punk scene in the North East for nearly 30 years but their albums are about as rare as a complete solar eclipse.
This is just their fourth in all that time, and their first since 2014’s Come On! but happily it finds them firing on all cylinders.
Their relatively sparse number of releases might be something to do with the fact that singer Beki Straughan also fronts Chaos 8 while her husband Steve spent nine years in UK Subs, as well as being in Hi Fi Spitfires.
With Steve’s stint in the Subs now over, he can devote more time to his other bands, which is good news for anyone who’s seen either of them live.
He’s back on bass duties here, with Beki’s songwriting partner Dave Robinson on guitar and Ricci McElwee (ex-Crashed Out/The Me Mes), who replaced long-time sticksman Nelly for their previous release, 2019’s Line Him Up EP, on drums.
Over the course of 10 tracks, they lay down a highly infectious brand of toe-tapping punk rock ‘n’ roll which could make a dead man dance, with Dave throwing out swaggering riffs and the rhythm section locked in hard.
Their sound has been compared to “Blondie meets the Ramones”, and Beki has been one of the best front persons in the business for years, with the voice to match her stage presence.
Three of the songs here (Shut Up, the excellent Love To Hate and Line Him Up) have been re-recorded from the EP, and producer Phil Jackson does a great job of capturing their gutsy live sound at The Bunker in their hometown Sunderland.
Things kick off with the upbeat title track In The City, which sets the tone for an album full of songs whose choruses stick instantly and will have you singing along by the second time you hear them.
She’s The Enemy includes guest keyboards by Olga Toydoll, and this is an album which picks up momentum as it goes along, with the closing trio of Time’s Up, Ten Times Harder and Not Going bringing it to a thrilling denouement.
I nearly missed In The City until guitarist Dave asked me if I’d like to review it. I’m so glad he did, as it’s an absolute belter – possibly their best album yet. 9/10.
- In The City is available to stream on Spotify, iTunes or Amazon Music now, or you could actually support the band and buy a physical copy via their Facebook page HERE. CDs are £12 including P&P, with vinyl to follow soon.
