At times a band comes along who embody a sense of
time and place and the state of society. Sleaford Mods are that band right now, and are either met with resonance or disdain. Those who write
Sleaford Mods off after one listen are missing the point. They are arguably the most vital band around right now, they are shining a light on the piss-stained streets of austerity life that so many refuse to acknowledge. They aren't wrapping it up in clever metaphors or masking it in intricate "musical landscapes". They're living it and breathing it, they're calling out the bullshitters and confronting them head on.
Those who get it recognise the poetry in Jason
Williamson's words, he fires off insightful lyrical volleys atop understated backing tracks from Andrew Fearne. They aren't necessarily a political band - wit being the one constant at the heart of their songs - but the government is amongst many in Williamson's
firing line. Others include pretentious
snobs, Chumbawamba, "lonely little DJ's with no fucking life", rockers
with "progressive side sleeve tattoos". Alex Turner and Miles
Kane were recently berated on their social networking sites for dressing like
"twats", and the designer Paul Smith is ridiculed for finding "binspiration in everything" on 'Smithy' - essentially nobody is exempt.
The album begins with 'Air
Conditioning' and a change of tact for the band with vocals rendered down
in the mix. Immediately after, the
opening line on 'Tied up in Nottz'
sets the tone for the remainder of the album, and has to be one of the best
introductory lines I've heard: "The
smell of piss is so strong it smells like decent bacon".
On Tiswas he lambasts the state of Britain and the meaningless awarding of
MBE's to people like David Cameron's hairdresser and Pete Tong: "Cameron's hairdresser got an MBE I said to my wife you better
shoot me". Album closer 'Tweet
tweet tweet', highlights the gruesome and sad reality of modern life, where people are happy to film and tweet about "chopped heads on London streets".
This album displays progression in terms of sound since
Austerity Dogs. The band has gathered
momentum lately having received critical acclaim, but I doubt they have aspirations
of mainstream success. Their music depicts a twosome most at home in a sweaty club drinking warm cans of lager. The music and profanity-ridden lyrical content is unlikely to see them selling out the O2 arena or win
them an invite to the next Royal Variety show to perform alongside Michael Buble. They will however most definitely be playing to
more than "two dogs and an ash tray" (as Williamson once said). Hard work has earned them the right to greater recognition and respect. It's difficult to imagine in what way the band
will evolve and who says they have to, they've got a simple formula, the lyrics are great, the tracks are catchy and it
works so, WHO GIVES A...!
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