Album Review: The Melbies - "Songs For Harambe Vol 1"

 

It's pretty clear right from the word go that this isn't going to be the most sensible album you've ever listened to - with song titles including Sausagefest: The Musical!, I'm Sorry Indy and odes to the Beano and Rosie and Jim, it would appear that Dover pop-punks the Melbies are the sort of band who are perpetually cursing the fact that they arrived on the scene that crucial two decades too late to bag that Blink 182 support slot before they went emo.

With support slots to the likes of the Wildhearts, the Vibrators and Splodgenessabounds, it should give you an idea of where these guys' influences lie but to their credit, they're nowhere near as obnoxious as a lot of their frat-punk forebears back in the early noughties were and the likes of the piss-take ballad There's A Reason and the ska-thrash of Beano do at least elicit a belly laugh the first time you hear them and they even show a bit of musical dexterity on the likes of Reboot Me and the thrashy Brother (an ode to Hulk Hogan obviously).

All in all, Songs For Harambe Vol 1 is at least a fun enough half hour of time wasting even if it lacks the depth to really be a contender to worm its way into your repeated listening. I get the impression that, similar to the likes of Dirt Box Disco, this is a band who would come more into their element in the live arena with a few pints flowing through your system so maybe that's the best place to check them out and, if you like what you hear, give this a shot as well.

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑🌑 (7/10)

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