Down and Outs have been shaking things up for going on four years now. Unfortunately, I really didn't start paying attention to the band until last year when they offered up a split 7" with Death is No Glamorous. Despite my ignorance, Down and Outs have amassed a small discography through a variety of releases - both in CD and vinyl formats. Friday Nights, Monday Mornings marks the band's second full-length release and follow-up to their 2004 debut offering, Boys from the Blackstuff.
The twelve tracks that comprise Friday Nights, Monday Mornings are ultimately punk, but cover a must broader spectrum than what many normally associate with the genre. The majority of the songs do evoke punk's intensity and bombasticy, but there are also intricacies. Take the guitar-driven "Pictures and Memories," which brings to mind The Clash with its clean-guitar strumming and soaring and poppy chorus. "Nihilo Sanctum Esnte" further experiments with this sound, something that we've heard more recently from the likes of The Loved Ones.
Occasionally the band mixes in those ruckus raising street punk cuts that so many of us have come to love from punk rock. "Pocket Money Punks" and "Get a Grip Son" are prime examples of this. "Anchors Away" and "We Want More" infuse a bit more melody and pop influences than these two, but are still more punk than pop; these songs brought to mind Dillinger Four.
As the album wraps up it is obvious that Down and Outs are more than just your typical punk hoodlums. This is reflected lyrically as well as the band steers clear of stereotypical political issues and instead focuses their attention towards adulthood and the responsibilities that come with it. While not certainly punk in theory, every youngster with a collection of Rancid and The Crass records must one day decide to either fight the system or sell out.
Friday Nights, Monday Mornings proves that the spirit of true punk rock still lives in the U.K. While they aren't nearly as genre defining as The Clash or as attention-driven as The Sex Pistols, Down and Outs offer up punk music that will appeal to punk fans. Not all music is going to change the world; sometimes you just need some good tunes that will get you through your days.
