There are tales of bands getting together back in the heyday of new music and adventure that was the 60s ’70s & ’80s when things were new and adventures were fresh for kids who had instruments and an ambition to tread new exciting frontiers only to find that the streets weren’t paved with gold (well, not for everyone they weren’t) and fell into jobs and relationships and gave up on their dreams. Now sometime later after they’ve had their career and kids they find they had unfulfilled passions and ambitions but had the means to investigate the songs they had written together as part of a gang and as time falls behind then they contact their former bandmates who have been through similar life journeys and find themselves thinking if only’s and what if we do it nows. We’ll its been Forty years between recordings for post-punks that are Cult Figures.
After trudging around the midlands during their ’77-’78 incarnation and releasing their debut in 2018 it seems only right to put out the follow up amidst a pandemic ravaged time these tracks are not old songs given a restart but have been written from 2016 onwards since they reformed and enthused they embrace punk rock attitude, pop melodies and some psychedelic Rock to mix it up with a modern-sounding record that embraces their past and tips the hat to whats gone before them from the sprightly opener ‘Chicken Bones’ through the melodic and catchy ‘Donut Life’ and energetic and excellent ‘Lights Out’. There an alignment with some of the recent SLF songs and the opener reminds me of Kirk Brandens recent releases.
There is a maturity to the songs because it doesn’t sound like carefree kids that’s for sure. ‘Silver Flames’ has an energy and a well-constructed song more power pop with the layered big acoustic guitar chords is great to hear and really well recorded with warmth and energy.
I see they mention that Roger Taylor from Duran Duran once held the drum throne in the band however relevant and thin the tenure is why not throw that clang! out there. They follow up ‘Silver Flame’ with ‘White Noize’ ‘Julie Anne’ that has a great floor tom thump. Again, keeping up the energy levels is good midway through the album and the chorus is uplifting before the first track to be accompanied with a video is ‘Concrete And Glass’ that nods to the past lyrically slightly reflective but with a present sound and comes across as reflective laying back after the sprightly previous songs.
Finishing off with a bit of a dancefloor filler ‘Privilege’ is a fitting full stop to a really good record. With a post-punk meets a bit of a mod vibe Cult Figures prove that it’s never too late to strap on those guitars and turn those amps up and get your groove on from releasing your debut single with Swell Maps helping out Gary Jones and Jon Hodgson should be well proud of this record shame it took so long to get here but grateful it did. Check em out.
Author: Dom Daley
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