ALBUM REVIEW: The Mistakes – A Head Full Of Damage (NBQ Records)
The Mistakes are a five-piece band from Poole in Dorset who blend punk, rock ‘n’ roll, ska and even hints of metal, and in the process create something very exhilarating indeed
They announced their arrival in 2018 with the Anti-Social Media album, and followed that a year later with live LP Upstarts And Heretics, which was recorded at a gig in Berlin.
Like everyone else, their plans for 2020 were derailed by the virus, included making this second studio album, which was half-finished. They resumed recording in September when lockdown was lifted, and completed it in October. And what an album it is, released on their own Never Be Quiet label.
It’s been deeply influenced by events that took place during its prolonged recording – from the birth of frontman Ross Sutcliffe’s first child and guitarist Shane Creech’s second, to the unrelenting pressure of dealing with family illness, and the strength people have shown in the face of those challenges.
After a recording of the singer’s son’s heartbeat in the womb, the record explodes into life with ska-tinged opener Form Square, which has huge riffs, a big singalong chorus, and even a harmonica solo. It’s fast, furious and brimming over with energy, and just a taste of what’s to come, as the intensity barely lets up for the next 36 minutes.
There’s thrashing guitars, urgent basslines, and a drummer who is all over his kit like a rash as he beats out like a relentless rhythm, all topped with impressively impassioned vocals. I’ve never seen The Mistakes, but on this evidence I bet they’re fucking amazing live.
Lyrically, there are songs about the pressures of everyday life (Therapy), dealing with toxic people (Black Widow) and the idea that while things are hard, they will get better if people work together (Keep On Keeping On). Most of them are played at full throttle, with scarcely a pause for breath, let alone a drop in pace.
One Way Ticket sees the ante upped into something approaching hardcore territory, with Ross’s vocals resembling a scream at times; the outro “you’re the fucking enemy” will sound amazing yelled back at them by a roomful of voices.
UK Subs legend Charlie Harper has been a fan for a while, and guests on the frantic Don’t Push Me, while That Sinking Feeling could have been penned by Bad Religion; meanwhile, Drifting and Let’s ‘Ave It show the band know how to skank as well as venturing again into hardcore territory.
For me the high-point comes mid-album, when they pull off a punk version of the old blues trope of selling your soul – specifically that of drummer Lewis – to the devil in exchange for talent. There’s a nod to Rancid in the clever lyric “black shoes, black eyes, black hat, pitchfork…” and the resulting one-two of Crossroads/Deals With Devils take an old idea and turn it into something new.
A Head Full Of Damage is a record which needs to be played loud and heard by as many people as possible. It’s a slice of top-notch punk, which wears its influences (The Clash/Rancid/’90s SoCal bands) on its sleeve, but sounds thoroughly modern at the same time. It should appeal to fans of all those bands, plus the likes of Subhumans, The Restarts and The Liarbilitys, but the band I’d liken them to most are excellent Essex street-punks The Filaments.
The Mistakes are Ross Sutcliffe (vocals), Shane Creech (vocals and guitar), James Gould (guitar), Richie Blandford (bass) and Lewis Willoughby (drums). Hopefully, if the government’s roadmap goes to plan, they’ll be able to take this record on the road by the summer, and prove just how good it is. You can get it direct from the band on CD or vinyl HERE. 9/10.
