Since forming three years ago THE JUNK have built up a reputation as a thunderous and sturdy live act. With an EP under their belt and patronage from Kerrang Radio their debut full length album aims to solidify their reputation. As a result it’s a very demonstrative listening experience. Every second of the record appears intent on grabbing you by the throat. It’s got enough gimmicks to make Lady Gaga blush. From Jake Martin’s pissed off machine gun style vocal delivery, Van Halen guitar shredding and an ear splitting horn section, Problem Reaction Solution’s main objective is to make sure you’re never bored.
It undoubtedly achieves this but listening to it is draining. It’s like babysitting a hyperactive toddler: the spectacle is impressive, I’d just rather not be in the same room as it. To prove a point here’s a study of track three 'Nick Griffin is a Cunt.' Very likely he is, but song titles like that are thankfully going to keep Nicky Wire in dresses for a good few years yet. So after assessing the eye catching song title we get ten seconds horn intro that sounds like the tune to The Magic Roundabout being played by Mexican chipmunks on speed. Martin enters proceedings with a venomous scream followed by a brick wall of guitars. Twenty seconds in there’s a shift in rhythm and a call and response bile spewing contest between Martin and any band member that doesn’t have a horn still in their mouth. Before we hit the forty second mark there’s another shift to choppy ska guitars and a new melody played by the horn section. When Martin’s vocals return with a slightly more considered approach, any split second he spends inhaling is filled by trumpets attempting to play with enough momentum to blow themselves out of a hurricane. After a bit more call and response, this time between horns and guitar, by seventy seconds into the song we are in pure screaming territory with Martin letting out a guttural moan that’s about as pleasant and long as a giraffe getting its throat slit.
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The sheer onslaught is practically baffling. In an attempt to impress and dumbfound you, The Junk often fail to give you anything that sticks around long enough to identify with. Live, it’s probably spell binding but on record it’s like trying to solve a cross word by having someone read you out the clues from another room. And that person has a stutter. And would probably set fire to you if you didn’t do it fast enough.
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