However, this song is tinged with sadness and it sounds as if the band are teetering on the precipice.Īcoustic guitar and hand claps give Stand With You an almost ballad-esque sound but there is a dose of glam a-la Mott The Hoople. It is the project to destroy solidarity and isolate everyone that started as they launched their band which has led to our current shit-uation. Solidarity is the key so they advise us to “Engage your community, the power of unity, leave no one here behind”. “We all need hope…we all need love…to free us from despair”. Hope describes our resilience being chipped away by malignant forces (complete with sound effects) and sets out how we can survive it. Not surprisingly the Neurotics want to stop it! Hell In A Handcart is a message to the bigots, nazis and politicians who will drag the nation down to hell. Utilities were sold off cheap for private gain, the NHS is being stripped for parts, homelessness is on the rise… Broadly they describe the destruction of the post-war consensus that led to the welfare state.ĭumb laments the manipulative dumbing down of normal people, which anyone who has studied the rise of fascism will know is a key ingredient in the rise of totalitarianism. Liar Liar is, going by the cover art, inspired specifically by the actions of our previous Prime Minister but could easily apply to any political leader over the last few decades of any party. None of it is rocket science but we all need reminding of obvious truths from time to time. Some problems are outlined and some solutions suggested. Many of the songs focus on the state the people of the UK now find themselves in – or more to the point, ordinary, working people. Arguably we are in a worse situation than in the ’80s when the Neurotics cut their teeth. There is a lot for the band to kick back against these days. As their social media channels proclaim “ It’s time to spread hope, to agitate, educate & organise!“. Lyrically the Neurotics can’t be faulted. This isn’t to say that the band shouldn’t change or mature, just a note for those who might be expecting a seamless continuation. The toning down of both guitar and vocal has the effect of sanding off the rough edges which I quite like and pushes this in a pub rock or mod direction. ![]() I can’t help but feel that if the full force of the guitar was allowed to cut through the mix a bit more the album would have more bollocks. Consequently, this is a departure from those early singles and the outstanding Beggars Can Be Choosers LP with which I am familiar. Steve Drewett’s vocal isn’t as raw as once was, and to be truthful that was always a large part of the Neurotics’ sound. The Newtown Neurotics are now not quite as punchy and are way more melodic. It’s depressing that 40 years on we are still stuck with a fossil fuel-dependent economy (and many of the other issues they sang about such as racists on the streets, and Tories who need kicking out!) It could make you question the power of music in social change until you remember that it could be even worse, and whilst music is louder than war, we are up against some very powerful interests who are even louder. Yes, they’re still political, what did you expect? It’s a subject they partially broached on When The Oil Runs Out back in 1980. The album starts off with a jaunty, poppy and folky Climate Emergency. Written and recorded whilst in lockdown, it is still current and valid, on topic for its release. The title of this new album, Cognitive Dissidents, displays Newtown Neurotics’ trademark thoughtful approach. The way Steve Drewett sang a tuneful uplift at the end of most lines and the realpolitik observations of gritty day-to-day life always made me think the Neurotics were what English folk would sound like if it was written by people who grew up in concrete jungles rather than twee villages. ![]() Then came the resounding Kick Out The Tories/Mindless Violence single. Strident, angry, political and intelligent raw punk rock with a touch of melody and plenty of oomph. ![]() Upon first hearing it sometime in the early ’80s, I was an instant fan. The Newtown Neurotics (affectionately shortened to The Neurotics by most) exploded onto the punk scene with the astounding 7-inch “Hypocrite” in 1979. The new album from Harlow’s Newtown Neurotics has a less raw, more melodic sound but they are still angry and political, and sew the seeds of hope.
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