ALBUM REVIEW: Spoilers – There Or Thereabouts (Brassneck Records/Waterslide/Rad Girlfriend/SBÄM)
Spoilers are a four-piece melodic punk band from Canterbury in Kent and this is the long-awaited follow-up to their debut album, 2018’s Roundabouts.
Comprising eight tracks, There Or Thereabouts falls somewhere between being an EP and an album, but it’s a very worthwhile addition to their canon of work.
With Snuff bassist Dan on lead vocals and guitar, Ben on guitar and vox, Stu on bass, and Leon on drums, Spoilers draw inspiration from bands like Leatherface, China Drum, Face To Face and The Lawrence Arms.
Half of it was written before lockdown and half during, with the band members working separately at home and sending songs to each other to add their own ideas.
That’s very different to their usual practice of writing together in rehearsal studios, but it seems to have worked, because, after a bit of tweaking once they were allowed back in the same room, they’ve come up with a fine collection of songs.
It took until 2022 to get them finished and the record mastered, and another few months to get it released, but it’s proved more than worth the wait.
Spoilers have catchy hooks and driving rhythms in abundance, and frontman Dan has a distinctive, high-pitched voice which reminds me a bit of Jeff Turner from the Cockney Rejects.
Things kick off in typical fashion with lead single Peaches & Cream, a high-energy song which is about dealing with anxiety and depression. None Taken, next up, sees the crunchy guitars step up a notch, while Straight Lines veers even further towards post-hardcore territory and is the heaviest song here.
Skip To The End, about not wasting time, is one of two previously released tracks included, the other being frantic closer One More Song. Both were on a split 7in with Liverpool band Pardon Us last year, but it’s long sold out, so this is the only way to get them physically.
The Good Life is probably my favourite track, powered by a great bassline and punchy drums, but to be fair that could change every time I listen to this record, as there’s so much to enjoy about it.
Don’t take my word for it, check out Spoilers at their Bandcamp page HERE and look out for live shows promoting this fine record. 8/10.
