Big Special – ‘Postindustrial Hometown Blues’ album review: a tiresome pseudo-punk odyssey
THE SKINNY: There has never been a better opportunity for punk music in the United Kingdom than right now. After all, there is so much to rebel against, so much to be angry about. Yet, for whatever reason, there are so few groups who manage to effectively capture the zeitgeist of modern working-class alienation and a generation of disenfranchised youth. Black Country duo Big Special were advertised as the answer to this gap in the musical market, with profound lyrics and a ruthlessly angry attitude, but unfortunately, their debut record, Postindustrial Hometown Blues, falls flat.
If you were to look at the promotional material that preceded this release, you would assume Big Special were creating a confrontational, uncompromising sound that tackles important issues of political alienation and mental health struggle in ways that have never been seen before. Upon listening to the album, though, you find that they are offering very little that has not already been done time and time again. From the Mike Skinner-esque vocal delivery and subpar slam poetry to the pseudo-punk distortion which evokes the early period of Idles, there is not much that sets Big Special apart from the rest.
On top of this lack of originality, the 15-track album also becomes incredibly dragging towards the latter half of the tracklisting. Given that the majority of pieces on the record sound very similar, it is far too easy to become fatigued with Postindustrial Hometown Blues within the space of only a few songs. This is particularly disappointing because, within the tracklist, all of the stand-out entries are bizarrely placed right at the end of the album. Songs like ‘Trees’ are some of the best examples of how good Big Special could be, but it is difficult to get that far into the album without losing interest around the fourth or fifth song.
If this album had been released five years ago, it would be right at home within the punk and post-punk scene, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Idles, Lady Bird and Soft Play, but within the music scene of 2024, Big Special feel woefully outdated and unimaginative. It is unclear who exactly this album is trying to reach; Big Special seem to present themselves as a defiant voice for Britain’s disenfranchised youth, but this album is much more likely to appeal to 6 Music dads and real ale enthusiasts. It is a record that is held back by its own self-aggrandising image.
For fans of: Smashing the system by using organic beard oil and spending your entire wage at the local microbrewery.
A concluding comment from a Tory MP: “Our endless quest to subjugate the working classes of the United Kingdom will have to be put on hold now that a man has shouted about jogging bottoms in a Brummie accent.”
Postindustrial Hometown Blues track-by-track:
Release date: May 10th | Producer: Michael Clarke | Label: SO Recordings
‘Black Country Gothic’: This track sounds as though it was constructed to be played during the finale of a student-made social realism film, made by the director’s mate as a favour. [2.5/5]
‘I Mock Joggers’: For a group that has consistently presented themselves as an uncompromising, politically-charged band, ‘I Mock Joggers’ is embarrassing. Derivative, bland and lacking any real substance, the lyrics reek of somebody who has recently bought a rhyming dictionary. [1/5]
‘Desperate Breakfast’: The latest in a growing body of tracks that desperately cling onto outdated images of England – with lyrics detailing ‘greasy spoons’ and a variety of other things that were becoming tired 20 years ago. [1.5/5]
‘Shithouse’: Words don’t mean anything anymore, do they? Language, poetry, and subtlety have all been consigned to the past, along with Creamola Foam and polio. [1/5]
‘This Here Ain’t Water’: Five tracks into their debut album, and Big Special have yet to land upon a particularly original or interesting thought. This is another track that feels like the disgusting lovechild of The Streets and IDLES. [2/5]
‘My Shape (Blocking the Light)’: The dark, brooding atmosphere on this track is fairly refreshing in contrast to the substanceless wall of sound that has gone before. The rising intensity hints at a promising development in Big Special’s sound. [2.5/5]
‘Black Dog/White Horse’: The promises made on the previous track give way to one of the strongest tracks on the album. Endearingly honest and backed up by commendable performances, this song provides a stark contrast to the band’s earlier work. [3.5/5]
‘Broadcast: Time Away’: Driven by synth-noises and hints at experimentalism, the early part of this track is fairly promising, but it soon gets overshadowed by painfully generic lyricism. [2/5]
‘Ill’: You don’t have to be Leonard Cohen to write rock lyrics, but artists should stop positioning themselves as if they were profound lyricists if all they can offer is half-arsed slam poetry with a drum beat. [2/5]
‘Mongrel’: There must be more to punk and protest music than simply swearing in a regional accent, surely? [2.5/5]
‘Butcher’s Bin’: The lyrics to this could be substituted with any and every track from the rest of the album, they are all basically the same. Nevertheless, the inclusion of electronica and bass is welcome and gives the track an endearing energy not afforded to much of the record. [3/5]
‘Dust Off/Start Again’: When most of your songs sound largely the same, it might be worth cutting your tracklisting down somewhat. By this point in the record, these formulaic and unimaginative tracks have become incredibly dragging. [2.5/5]
‘Trees’: Why this song is buried so deep in the tracklisting is beyond me, given that it is one of the better efforts from Postindustrial Hometown Blues. It is among the few tracks on this record where Big Special find their own unique voice – if only they had continued down this avenue for the rest of their debut. [3.5/5]
‘For the Birds’: Featuring unexpected piano, this is the kind of emotionally heavy, introspective songwriting that Big Special have become known for. It is not groundbreaking, but it is candid and sincere in a way that many of the tracks on the album fail to be. [3/5]
‘Dig!’: It seems as though Big Special waited until the very end of their record to unleash their best material, as the three final tracks on the album are by far their most notable. Again, this song features Mike Skinner-esque vocal delivery, though it feels distinctly less forced here. [3/5]
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