There's a riot happening in Scotland, and it's one that sounds reminiscent of the south of California rather than the northern reaches of Britain. Fuelled largely by the impact of the prolific Make-That-A-Take records, the burgeoning Scottish DIY punk scene has grown from strength to strength, with constant releases and compilations showing that punk is thriving in Scotland. The most recent offering from Make-It-A-Take is the fourth EP from Glaswegian punks, Sink Alaska. Right from the title of Battle Lines From Better Times, Sink Alaska set their goals of producing a well crafted melodic punk record that harkens back to 90's melodic punk rock, whilst lyrically reflecting on the maturation of every band of that era's worst nightmare - *gasp* growing up *gasp*.
Although the Will Smith ripping title of I Am A Legend/I Am A Robot may make it seem like Sink Alaska aren't taking themselves that seriously, the lyrics tie into this overall theme of looking back. Kicking off with some Banner Pilot inspired riffs, Sink Alaska show off their love for melodic punk rock, whilst the reflective ruminations and subversion of "as one door closes, another one shows" introduces the underlying hope and optimism the band has for the future. But it's a balancing act for the band, as a very heavily Foo Fighters inspired bluesy arpeggio riff in the chorus underlies lead singer Alan Easton's observation that "good times don't last forever"!
It's a sentiment that gets shared on All That Gets Hurt Are Feelings, a song detailing moving on after the breakdown of a relationship. Fittingly, it's much more aggressive and punky, with blasting beats, comes out sounding brash and aggressive. Sink Alaska come across on this track like a less technical, more melodic Propagandhi, capturing the serious punk vibe and energy of those SoCal technical punks, but favouring laid back, bluesy lead lines over the absolute intensity Propagandhi employs in their guitars. Still, there's a lot of tension here, as the aforementioned frantic drumming is underpinned by some excellent bass work, and it pays off as the song's chorus really expands and opens up. Easton's declaration of "what can I do, what can I say, these words won't change anything" highlights the confusion and frustration borne out of not knowing how to move on. I guess some things don't get easier as you grow up, eh?
Continuing on the pure-punk-rawk-aggression, Poacher Turned Gamekeeper comes right out of the gate with some more roaring punk riffs and excellent bass-lines, plus an absolutely ace melodic riff for the verse. With ascending screechy punk octaves and guitar lines that turn into low end crunch, this is Sink Alaska at their most aggressive and immediate. But the real highlight of this track is David Bradford's bass-line; reminiscent of Matt Freeman's work in Rancid, it jumps and leaps all over the fretboard, giving the song some really interesting flair and flavour. The bridge is a really well executed and exciting quiet/loud affair, returning to the Foo Fighter style riffs of I Am Legend - but, frustratingly, after a final chorus that feels a little bit tacked on, the song ends really abruptly. It's annoying, as this track had the best riffs on the EP, and just feels that, with a bit more structuring and care, it could have been a stand-out single. As it is, it's a really solid song that perhaps needed a little bit more love in its composition.
If Poacher Turned Gamekeeper may be a little undercooked, however, then final track Overkill Is Underrated is a steaming bowl of 90's melodic punk served up just right. The energy is here from the start with a frantic intro and some seriously discordant chugging in the verse. I can't tell if it fits or not, but it certainly makes me feel uncomfortable, which lines up nicely with the assertion that "everyone's got a tipping point!" I'm a sucker for when music and lyrics work to complement the overall message of the song, so I'm happy to roll with it. As the closer to the EP, Overkill Is Underrated manages to draw the overall themes of maturing together and to a close. Reflecting on getting older and a relationship maturing in an uncomfortable direction, the pre-chorus refrain of "do you remember when we tried to have some fun?" underscores what the record is really about - having a blast listening to punk rock, returning to a time of music that made you feel good and trying to recreate it after having grown up just a smidge. Despite not having as many interesting riffs or pure punk rock aggression as the last two songs, this is probably the most well crafted song on the EP. It really brings to mind the knack for writing catchy, melodic punk rock that bands like Green Day, NoFx and The Offspring all showed at their prime, and if Sink Alaska can bring this high level of craftsmanship to all other songs on future releases, they're definitely onto a winner.
On Poacher Turned Gamekeeper, Easton sings that "there's only so many things you can do at any time!" By picking and choosing from their influences, refining their songs into a solid slab of melodic and meaningful punk rock, Sink Alaska show that maybe growing up and maturing isn't such a bad thing. Although Battle Lines From Better Times may overly-romanticise the past in its lyrical content, its in how you deal with it that ultimately matters - and if creating a kickass EP that celebrates your favourite music, looking to the future with a healthy balance of trepidation and anticipation is your modus operandi, go for it. Crack open the buckfast and have a good old sing along, aye?
Released 01/03/2016 on makethatatakerecords
http://sinkalaska.bandcamp.com/album/battle-lines-from-better-times
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