Take Control by Slaves (Isaac Holman – drums and vocals, Laurie Vincent – guitar, bass, vocals) is the best punk record I’ve heard in months. Opening with “Spit It Out,” the duo launch into a diatribe about their generation whining about nostalgia they haven’t yet earned (“Suckin’ on a sour-sweet, waitin’ on a train. Lookin’ at the information, ready to complain. Thinkin’ back on better days, how it used to be. Pull yourself together, boy, you’re only twenty-three!”). It’s vicious and heavy and one of the best opening tracks of the year.
“Hypnotised” has great fuzzy bass and even better hectic drums behind it. Sham 69 must be proud of them because Slaves clearly are expressing their love for them with the somewhat distorted vocals and slick rhythm of the track. The Beastie Boys’ Mike D contributes a verse of rapping as well as some screams and vocals on “Consume or Be Consumed” – a dire warning about materialism and the general gluttony of First World living. The vocals are pretty much rap lyrics, and Mike D must’ve felt like he was back in his early days when the Beastie Boys were a wacky punk band (Remember that?).
The title track does in less than two minutes what the Foo Fighters wish they could still do – angry rock with no muss or fuss. “Rich Man” is both funny (“Rich man, I’m not your bitch, man.”) and groovy. Vincent and Holman both admire the subject’s moxie (“He’s got a big house and a shitload of land.”), but know money doesn’t bring long-term happiness (“Five kids by three different girls, seven cars and not a friend in the world.”) The opening of “Play Dead” sounds like L7 cuts and the vocals are akin to something off an early Jon Spencer Blues Explosion album.
Vincent’s guitar on “Lies” has some blues touches, believe it or not. Don’t worry, they get back to the angry punk on “Fuck the Hi-Hat” (which isn’t part of Holman’s stand-up drum kit – “I don’t need it!” He yells by the end.). “People That You Meet” is about folks Slaves have met here and there and essentially a new version of Sesame Street’s “People in Your Neighborhood.”
The electric beats of “Steer Clear” are surprising, as is the mellow tone of the song about the dangers of drinking and driving. It’s actually pretty cool that Slaves (and guest vocalist Baxter Dury) would put a song like this on the record in hopes of reaching their fans (“Throwing all your things in the back of your car, now you’re leaving in a drunken rage. That’s why I say, ‘Please don’t kill yourself behind the steering wheel.’”).
“They don’t call it ‘work’ for nothin’!” begins “Cold Hard Floor,” which turns into a slightly psychedelic trip that Ty Segall would enjoy. “STD’s / PhD’s” brings back the heavy fuzz and programmed beats. It’s almost an industrial goth track. “Angelica” is like a punk cover of a 1950’s teen-rock ballad, but with drum machine beats and lyrics about the girl in question being a “bloodsucker” instead of doo-wop lovey-dovey beats and vocals. They return to distorted punk on “Same Again,” a song about the drudgery of everyday life in Britain (“Same again, week in, week out.” / “Straight to the bar, you know the drill. Money to spend, time to kill.”).
It’s fun stuff, and refreshingly brash and in your face for most of the record. Give it a spin and snap out of it.
Keep your mind open.
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