ALBUM REVIEW: Grade 2 – Grade 2 (Hellcat Records)
Grade 2 are a three-piece streetpunk band from Ryde on the Isle of Wight, and this is their fourth album proper. And if there’s a better album released in 2023 I can’t wait to hear it.
Sid Ryan (vocals and bass), Jack Chatfield, (guitar and vocals) and Jacob Hull (drums) formed the band when they were 14, and learned to play doing Clash and Jam covers.
Honing their own sound, they released two albums on Contra Records – The Mainstream View (2016) and Break The Routine (2017) – before switching to Hellcat for 2019’s Graveyard Island (reviewed here).
It was produced by Rancid’s Tim ‘Timebomb’ Armstrong, and he’s back at the helm for this one, and it’s fair to say he’s coaxed the album of their career out of the trio.
They have some fine songs in their canon, but everything they’re done previously feels like it’s merely been preparing the ground for this tour de force.
The boys are plugged in, firing on all cylinders right from the off, and stomping their highly-polished DMs all over what you expect from a streetpunk album.
Make no mistake, these boys can play, and they’re one of the most exciting bands involved in the punk scene right now.
Over 15 tracks they produce a blend of raw punk power and melody which should appeal to a new generation of fans – remember they’re only in their mid-20s.
Few bands do dual vocals as well as Grade 2, and the excellent production gives Sid and Jack’s voices plenty of space to be heard, despite the glorious fucking racket they’re making.
Judgement Day is a blistering opener which is over and done in a minute and a half, and it’s followed by Fast Pace, about the way everyone seems determined to live their lives these days.
Under The Streetlight, one of four songs released as singles before the album came out, is next, and it’s an anthem of positivity, about enjoying the support of friends, family or a community when times are tough.
Doing Time, comparing the 9 to 5 grind with being behind bars, and the slightly ska-tinged Midnight Ferry, about returning to reality with a thump after a great night out, were both fine trailers for the album, as was Brassic, about being skint – something many can identify with in these times of austerity.
But although they were a good taster for the full-length, for me they’re nowhere near the best songs on this album, not by a long chalk. Don’t Stand Alone is a contender, with its swaggering riffs, infectious chorus and messages of hope and friendship.
So is Parasite, a song so furious it could strip paint off walls. I’ve never heard Grade 2 sound angrier, but my pick of the bunch is Celine, two and a half joyful minutes about falling in love and living for the moment.
This is Grade 2’s most-complete album yet, and the best record I’ve heard this year. I can’t wait to hear these songs live. 9/10.
- Grade 2 are touring the UK from March 3-19, before heading out to Europe. Check out your nearest gig at their website HERE.
