Some of you more diehard BlankGenerationDOTCOM readers might remember the review I wrote for The Uniform where I said:
"Morphius. I love them BUT I can hardly find any of their releases. I don’t know what it is about Cincinnati but even though my personal record store of choice I feel is one of the best record stores in the region, there is still trouble finding their releases. I even called the label themselves to try and rectify the situation."
Well, that STILL hasn’t gotten any better. Oh yeah, and with this release I am hereby placing Morphius on academic probation as one of my favorite labels.
You see I was REALLY into hearing National Razor because I heard they were different. Well, they aren’t really anything new or as exciting as I was anticipating. I hear some bright moments on their tracks ("Tear Me Down", "Policies"), but not enough to compensate for the lackluster UK Subs material to keep Morphius off my probation reasoning.
National Razor sounds like a pop-punk band with new wave tendencies, but NOT ENOUGH new wave. It needs to be taken several levels past where it is now. Listening to more Le Shok would help. Listening to more Split Enz would help. Listening to more Dirty Looks or 20/20 would be the best possible thing National Razor could do.
Then call me in the morning....
National Razor. Seven songs including a Slaughter and The Dogs cover of "Situations." In some ways, a real let down, but heh, that’s life for ya....
The UK Subs.... UK "What does that ‘UK’ stand for anyway?" Subs.... When it was first discussed that National Razor were doing a split CD with The Subs this is what I said, "Now why do you want to do that? The UK Subs are old and boring."
In HONOR of Chuck Palaniuk and his novel Choke: "Washouts isn’t the word I am looking for, but its the first word to come to mind."
And who would have thunk it, you heard older UK Subs, you heard newer UK Subs… Not really much progression outside production standards… Bright moments on the CD include their reggae and/or dub moments. They actually do some decent reggae and/or dub, but then again, so does Stiff Little Fingers and The Clash. It’s not like I want to hear The UK Subs doing a rap song or anything, BUT this English punk/dub stuff IS getting a little tiresome. We need some new formulas.
I mean, FUCK! Almost every song has something about Revolution in the context or even the word itself.
Revolution.
That shit is so "Bring the wall down ’89."
Secret societies. Insurgence. Clandestine. Top-shelf. Back room. These are the NEW thing.
The UK Subs - Old AND boring. They have become the dinosaurs. I hope when I’m forty...when I am fifty....I’ll have grown musically.
As for the Neotric Punk/Wave and this CD…nope.
Try again…
Do over…
Try again…
Do over…