Chubby is back with album number three and easily the bands most diverse and rewarding offering yet. Sure there’s a fair sprinkling of what got the band on the radar in the first place and that’s the buzz saw UK Hardcore punk rock but they’ve morphed slowly but confidently into something all together more than wham bang thank you mam. ‘And Then There Was…’ is a fourteen song strong album with twists and turns throughout with an emphasis on melody and the song rather than satisfying an image or a scene which is both brave and rewarding for them no doubt and us the listener. If you just want heads down in your face hardcore then I suggest The Chisel who will certainly satisfy that need if you are looking for something altogether more adventurous then stick with me because Chubby has a record full of rewards.
The most noticeably thing about album number three is its not so much Chubby anymore both physically and personnel wise because Charlie Manning takes on the role of “The Gang” as well as being Chubby. yup he plays and sings everything making it a proper solo effort.
You get a bit of country geetar picking on the single ‘Devil In The Jukebox’ and a couple of soppy love songs and a closing ‘Cocaine Sunday’ that’s a simple piano ballad (didn’t expect me to say that did you? but there you go its all here. Don’t worry Charlie hasn’t gone soft he’s not about to tour with Taylor Swift or anything and there is plenty of crash-bang wallop for all you punk rockers. The album kicks off with some radio static and some broadcast messaging before the music kicks in and when it does it absolutely does. Get the circle pit going we’re off. Chubbs familiar slurred style of vocals is evident throughout the record and even when we’re in familiar territory like ‘To Be Young’ the melody is strong and the gang vocals are juxtaposed to the thrashing guitars which works really well. ‘The Bonnie Banks’ is a roaring jig of a song with a much gentler tempo and something of an anthemic melody. The next few songs are comfortable Hardcore fair and solid before ‘To Fade Away’ and its haunting echo on the guitar and vocals building throughout but never breaking out, nice.
Love the keys on ‘Company I Don’t Want To Keep’ and the solid melody and tempo reminds me of Tim Armstrong and there’s nothing wrong with that. A really good song then to follow it with the sharp riffs of ‘Love Song’ with its solid beat and arrangement. Then the curveball of ‘Since You Said Goodbye’ which will make this record a more sustainable and longer listen than the previous offerings. Obviously that’s on early impressions but there’s so much going on here and I like it a lot. When these songs have bedded in and the variety no longer raises an eyebrow Chubby and the gang’s stock will rise to the top and that seems like a fair trade off to me. songs like ‘Trepanning’ are what we know then you get hit by the rock of ‘A Lust For More’ followed by ‘Two Hearts’ and before you can unlace your docs you’re blubbing to ‘Cocaine Sunday’ and you head back in to play it all again. A fine album that will get better and better as the months roll by. Chubby and the Gang of One hit the spot and this train keeps a rollin’. Excellent stuff – Buy it!
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Author: Dom Daley
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