The Lamplighters: Views

Artist: The Lamplighters
Title: Views
Format Reviewed: MP3
Format Released: 18th December 2015
Reviewed By: Lee Morton

Sometimes you hear the opening notes of a song and immediately think: 'yes, I'm going to like this'. That's exactly what happened here with the simple intro to opening track Views from the new album of the same name from German punks The Lamplighters. A military-like drum beat that runs through the whole of the song just grabs you and draws you straight in. I dare you not to be tapping your feet along with it within seconds. The album itself is a homage/love song to classic punk, think The Ramones (who are referenced on the album a number of times), Rancid and many other So-Cal punk bands from the last twenty or so years. It's not different, it doesn't even try to be, but why mess with the formula when what you've created is this good?

The first track, the aforementioned Views, opens the album brilliantly. It's about that punk rock staple of unity and is very topical in today's climate. The line "we pray to Mecca, and go to church on Sundays" highlighting that despite different views we are all the same underneath, all underpinned by the military like drums and distinctive gruff vocals.

Things speed up on second track Here And There, a fist-pumping and raucous track that certainly wouldn't sound out of place on a Rancid album. The dual guitars buzz away as the chorus burrows inside your head.

The video for third track Basement has been doing the rounds on various punk music sites and doesn't hold back in its love of The Ramones, from the opening 1-2-3-4 cry to "gabba gabba hey" lines. It's classic old school punk that doesn't hang around and takes total joy in what it is: fun, fast and accessible.

Ironically for the longest song on the album, Fairytale is probably the fastest and sees them in full-on speedpunk mode. This is pure head down and race to the finish, with added gang vocals thrown in and some vocal interplay between dual singers Schusti and Malzi.

Out Of Control keeps the pace up but aside from a mid-song instrumental break down doesn't really get going; much the same as Wish, which completely passed me by. Any fears of the album tailing off, though, are smashed out of the park by I Don't Like You. Childish and infectious, it sounds like a drunken sea shanty but you can just imagine a crowd shouting back "I don't like you" in glorious unison.

All We Need is a bit more pop-punk, with even the vocals sounding cleaner than on earlier tracks, whilst Getting High harks back to The Ramones again and features more of the gang style backing vocals. Penultimate track Swallow is a rabble-rousing, fist-pumping track with probably the best chorus on the album and some phenomenal drumming, before final track Hold Me signs off in style, with buzzing guitars to the fore again.

Apart from a slight sag in the middle this is a very polished album, filled with enough hooks and melodies to keep your interest. It's not anything new but if you're looking for a great night out then you could do a lot worse than check out The Lamplighters. The album is out today and with an extensive tour planned for Spring 2016 you're almost certain to find me in the front row having a great time...