What twelve years?! Really?! Shit, it feels more like five minutes but if that’s what the distance between this and the last album then boy where have we all been.  So things have changed yes? Uh, Nope.  Steve E Nix still has bleached hair and still slings round that Gibson like its made of plastic and the world is still fucked in the grip of Right-wing politics here there and everywhere. like a pack of rats, more and more people are seemingly on board with that shit.  Luckily We’re not and neither are The Briefs and to be fair whilst everything moves at a million miles an hour and nothing seems to stay the same  It’s kinda cool and refreshing when you stumble across something that just can’t change for anybody or nothing and that’s The Briefs.  I don’t want them to change.  They’re winning and because they’re winning in life I’m winning in life and that’s because I’ve got a brand new record from the Briefs in my hand and its got Twelve brand new tunes for me to devour.

You won’t get much from the jacket its silver and has a great big fat rat on it so nothing given away there then.  what you do get is a dozen blasts of punk rockin’ power pop and it ranges from the pogotastic opener of ‘What’s the Use’ that has the band riding into town on a massive throbbin’ bass lick and a guitar riff stolen in the night right out of the classic Townsend box of guitar licks and its welded onto a smart chorus complete with gang vocals and blistering solo.  That’s just how I want the Briefs to sound – Big – Bouncy and Beautiful. If you’re lucky enough to see them on their recent stint out cruising the mean streets of the USA you should have picked up a copy of the record complete with reflective silver sleeve others will have to wait until they’ve crucified the lord on Good Friday.

Anyway, Just before Christmas, we had the rapid single ‘Kids Laugh At You’ with its big chorus for you to chant along to. It’s turning into a Christian festival based review – who knew? ‘Out Of Touch’ isn’t something you could level at The Briefs because they were probably never in touch but its motoring along nicely as they dip from vocalist to vocalist and back again with ease and the listener isn’t sure anymore whos singing what as they’ve morphed into the same voice anyway but ‘Dumb City’ is like a homage to The Undertones but with better playing and more bubblegum and added Ramones.

‘The Thought Police Are On The Bus’ is rockin’ and as the album weaves towards its conclusion you can’t help but fall in love with ‘I Hate The World’ with its breakneck speed and harmonies its like a full speed metronome keeping time as the band see how tight they can play without pausing for breath (to be fair its pretty quick and bloody tight) ‘Underground Dopes’ is altogether more punchy and a little bit pissed off. ‘GMO Mosquito’ is something of a Briefs slowey.  Its got a big chorus and stomps in the Boys territory which is always a good place to ply your trade. Take a deep breath because the other side to that single they released before Jesus’ birthday is up next and ‘She’s A Rat’ is classic Briefs if you were asking.  No! not asking! OK, I’m telling then, its got a juicy hook with a big fat melody hanging off it and a bit of DEVO on the breakdown before dipping back into the chorus.

The next few tunes project the same format,  its the briefs mun not some experimental Nine Inch Nails record.  Its punk rockin’, power pop exactly how we know and love it and if you were expecting more then I’m sorry but cramming one’s album full of hooks, melody, great rhythm, splendid playing and feelgood tunage in an age where we seem hell-bent on heading towards the flames in a handcart I want some Briefs to help make life less painful and stressful and if we are Hellbound I want a good bloody soundtrack and quite frankly ‘Platinum Rats’ fits the bill perfectly.  Now don’t leave it quite so long between albums again I’m not getting any younger you know.

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