Hard-Wired Other Review
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Artist
Less Than Jake
Title
Pezcore
Format/Cat
COOKCD442
Label
Cooking Vinyl
Style
ska/punk/metal
Date of review
25 April 2008
Reviewer
Simon Williams
Rating
0/10
I listened to a couple of Less Than Jake songs a while ago and for some reason seemed to think they weren't that bad. So it was a bit of a rude awakening to find that this album is, in fact, one of the worst I have ever heard.

"Liquor Store" starts off like some kind of very bad and drunk Salvation Army offshoot leering down the road, trumpets and all. Then it melts into shouty punk pop which overlays the constant parping. Then it goes back to the bible-bashing brass-botherers once again. It's terrible. I've heard nothing worse all year, in fact quite possibly I've not heard anything worse since UB40 or Simply Red (take your pick).

'Never mind', I think to myself. 'Perhaps they're just arsing about. Perhaps it's just a silly few minutes to confuse everyone. Type O Negative used to do that very well as I recall'.

Then my hopes are crushed, spat on and kicked in the nads for good measure, as Track 2 joyously parps its way through the speakers. I haven't had a sinking feeling like this since the last time I was drunk at Alton Towers.

It's like this all the way, with varying amounts of brass instruments quacking their way pathetically through badly-shouted, thinly-produced punk pop by numbers. Worse still, the jangly, almost reggae back rhythm reminds me of The Jam - something I thought I'd successfully erased from my memory. It's going to take some powerful uppers to repair this type of recall damage.

I still have no idea what "Pezcore" means, but I'm in no hurry to find out.

So in essence, folks, this record is just terrible. It sounds like bad comedy club music played by spoiled brats who think they're punks but probably couldn't rip their way through their nan's hankies.

You would do well to avoid this. You would do even better to warn all your mates about it.