Strap in and we can begin. Synth punks The Scanners rev up their engine for a blast of pure punk rock synth style. Blasting off into orbit with their sharp yet oh-so-enjoyable blasts of punk rock. It’s rapid, retro yet thoroughly futuristic from the opening energetic race off that is ‘No Return’ It is like friends are electric and whilst they might have one foot firmly planted in the Devo or Numanoid past they are doing it all on their own terms and mixing the furious punk rock/new wave with guitars very much involved there is a fuller sound with the pops and sequenced tweaks of modern technology and none more than the opening energetic blast that is ‘No Return’. This sets the tone for what’s to come.

This electro bop til you drop is rapid and contains boundless energy as the band blasts through the eleven tracks on offer you get whipped up in the maelstrom and I found myself daydreaming about what out there and would they welcome this soundtrack. ‘Brutal City’ is…Brutal I guess, it can be the only way to describe what’s going on. then the pace relents as the bass throbbing ‘Zero Gravity’ sort of mashes up the Britpop bass sound preferred by dare I say it Blur and their more Buzzcocks-inspired songs of their younger days. These gonzo synth punks kick up one hell of a shitstorm as the album careers towards oblivion as their Lo-Fi punches through your speakers tracks like ‘R.O.B.O.T.’ shift through the gears dreaming of space voyages whilst making one hell of a noise it’s a captivating ride and a lot of fun.

None of the songs overstay their welcome and are pretty much all short and very sharp. they also manage to create a variety throughout the record and it never manages to sound boring or samey and who doesn’t love those distorted Tubeway Army style vocals or that whirling synth on tracks like ‘Feel The Blade’ or the thrashing ‘Satellite Rain’ that race to its own implosion.

There are gems throughout this album and every play I think I’ve identified a new favourite song and ‘Cosmos Kid’ might just be the latest. Buried deep in the record its purposeful guitar riff is perfectly complimented by the keyboard tweaks and whirls that really mess with your head (in a good way of course).

I love that bands like Scaners exist and labels like Beluga release them I only regret more people don’t get fully invested in what’s going on. Pick up this glorious racket and spread the word The Scaners ‘iii’ is a banger, that’s a fact kids, let this into your musical orbit and strap yourself in for one hell of a punk rocket ride. Buy It!

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Author: Dom Daley

Italian rockers Bravata released their debut album ‘Pray for Today’ in May 2020 – as with so many bands, a very unfortunate time to release an album. However, the result is an accomplished, catchy collection of songs.

The Lecce-based band seem to effortlessly mix 70s American rock and roll with British-style Brit pop and beat, perhaps most notable in the song ‘Magpie’. There’s as much to remind me a little of New York Dolls as there is Suede, but the delivery is certainly not as hard as either. Offering up well-crafted songs with a laid back delivery, the album chimes easily from one song to the next, making each one a delightful pill to swallow.

It’s an easy album to get hooked on. While it’s punk rock and roll that drives it, it’s heavily layered with pop melodies and harmonies. The garage-infused title track is about as hard as it gets, whereas ‘I Don’t Know’ has a great The Cure-esque lead guitar hook and multiple harmonies. ‘Generate’ carries a bit of a darker sounds and definitely a highlight on the album.

Bravata traverse a lot of complementary genres to achieve these thoroughly enjoyable 10 tracks. They certainly do know how to craft a decent song or two.

Buy ‘Pray For Today’ Here

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Author: Craggy Collyde