Release Date: 20th November 2020
Record Label: Killing Moon Records
For Fans Of: Ramones, The Strokes, Circa Waves
With an unwavering fast pace offering a hundred thrills a minute, Bad Nerves are everything you could possibly want from a modern-day rock & roll band. A punk rock attitude combined with some of the most memorable indie-rock hooks you’re likely to come across – this is a record full of the feel-good energy we all need right now.
Unrelenting guitars, pounding drums and bruising bass tones form the basis of the Bad Nerves sound. Right from the start of Bad Nerves those instruments are let loose with reckless abandon. ‘CAN’T BE MINE’ and ‘BABY DRUMMER’ are distorted pop tunes that get right up in your face from the outset; vocalist Bobby Nerves frantically trying to express his every thought and emotion over the lively instrumentation. There’s a distinctive character to Nerves’ voice which, coupled with the profound lyrics on display, leaves you hanging on every passionate word. The frenetic pace that floods the album from start to finish is certainly contagious and makes for a genuinely fun record, though it does start feeling a little bit repetitive at points and perhaps needs a slightly more mellow song somewhere to add variety.
There are a couple of songs that stand out as real highlights on the album. The first is the single ‘PALACE’ which tackles the societal issues of an ever-present wealth gap and homelessness, questioning the disparity of England’s class structure. It’s refreshing for an indie-rock band to actually have something profoundly meaningful to say for themselves aside from the typical “love story” songs that so often characterise a band in that genre.
Another standout moment on Bad Nerves is the song ‘WASTED DAYS’. There’s a classic singalong melody and a pure festival energy that could make it an iconic summer anthem for years to come. If you’re missing live music (which I’m assuming you are) then put in your earphones, stick on Bad Nerves and dance around your bedroom like a teenager from a cheesy ‘90s American film.
The contrast between the brashness of the music and the poeticism of the lyrics gives Bad Nerves a really interesting uniqueness. They’ve created a sound that draws on the defining characteristics of every great era of British music. A punk energy, the gritty Britpop vocals, poetic lyricism of ‘00s indie – all fused brilliantly into the sonically polished mould of modern rock & roll.
Rating – 7 / 10
Recommended Tracks – ‘PALACE’, ‘WASTED DAYS’