Reviews

The City Kids – Filth


The City Kids – Filth

The City Kids -Filth
25th November 2022
Cargo Records

Album Review by Victoria Llewelyn

 Tracklisting:

  1. Filth
  2. Alone
  3. It Should Have Been You
  4. Heartbreak
  5. Scars
  6. Self Righteous
  7. Something Faster
  8. You Wanna?
  9. Ghosts
  10. Yesterday

John JJ Watt – Vocals and Guitar
Dennis Post – Guitar
Berty Burton – Bass
Dave Sanders – Drums

This most recent and eagerly anticipated new offering from those filthy dogs themselves The City Kids is quite something.   Most appropriately titled, it is dirty, gritty, abrasive and utterly delightful.   This album in its entirety stomps through from beginning to end with all the usual sleaze and flair, yet demonstrates an interesting new dimension from the band, veering away slightly from the pure-punk roots and the critical noise levels to introduce us to a more thoughtful and impassioned quality that fans may not be expecting but will identify with and take a lot of joy from.

The components of the four reprobate troubadours we know and love are still very much present – the opening track itself, ‘Filth’, begins with some of the darkest tones Berty can coerce from his poor, tormented bass, JJ’s vocals are as hoarse and raucous as ever, Dennis Post’s guitar is consistently searing and expressive, and Dave Sanders demonstrates yet again why he is considered one of the best drummers of his time.   But there’s more on offer here.   An emphasis of the ‘rock’ part of punk rock, this album boasts a rough intelligence alongside hooks, riffs and beats that don’t so much stay in your brain as repeatedly batter it around.  It’s an album I simply cannot stop playing.

Opening with the title track ‘Filth’ a lot of signature styles are recognisable and you feel like you’re in familiar territory.   Following up is ‘Alone’ – a heartbreak song done City Kids style with a killer guitar solo for good measure – and then moving on to current release ‘It Should Have Been You’, which is upbeat, efficacious and punky; the perfect track to get everyone on their feet and down to the barrier.

‘Heartbreak’ is another bass-heavy banger, and then my personal fave ‘Scars’, an angsty, melodic, first wave punk sounding beauty, up tempo and with an extra dose of sleaze – it’s like I had written the band a shopping list for this track.   Definitely a winner.   Anthemic ‘Self Righteous’ follows, ‘You Wanna’ kicks in with some quirky cleverness on the guitar, and then we come to ‘Something Faster’ which demonstrates the point I made earlier – there is so much more on offer here than just a punk band.   This track is slowed down, more melodic, and has an increased poignancy and sadness in the lyrics.   Finishing up we come to ‘Ghosts’ featuring Dennis on vocals this time, and finally ‘Yesterday’, classic City Kids that’ll have you carousing and singing along into your beer bottles to.  What’s not to love about that?

This album is furiously entertaining, bold and forceful, everything about it is in-your-face glory.   Provocative, flagrant and combative, keeping to the sleaze punk roots yet adding extra flavour to a well worn and much loved recipe, ‘Filth’ proves that something can be exceptionally beautiful and stamp on your head at the same time.  

So, if you think you’re hard enough, come and have a go.

‘Filth’ is due for release on 25/11/2022 – You can pre order here

The City Kids ‘Filth’ (cargorecordsdirect.co.uk)

Join us for the official album launch on 26/11/22 at Ye Olde Salutation, Nottingham

Find out more here

The City Kids – 150 Seconds Of Filth

The City Kids links:
Band/Artist location – England UK
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Check our page for The City Kids


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