Album Review: Pet Needs - "Primetime Entertainment"

 

Pet Needs' debut album Fractured Party Music was one of the unexpected triumphs of last year, taking the tried and tested punk blueprint and adding a 21st century stamp to it to make it sound both fresh and invigorating. Not bad for a band who were hawking a song about toothpaste as the lead off single! However, with the arrival a mere 18 months later of a follow-up, it's time to put the pedal to the metal and see if they've managed to keep that initial burst of form up...

Primetime Entertainment certainly gets off to a decent start with the barrelling Lost Again which sounds like Ferocious Dog minus the folk influences and isn't a bad start at all. Ibiza In Winter and former single Get On The Roof both have a hint of solo Frank Turner in one of his punkier moments on them which is no bad thing while Tried And Failed is a well written look at social anxiety. The pace varies up nicely throughout here as well from the frenetic anger of Spirals and The Argument through the almost thrash style riff-fest of Thanks For The Invite to the gentle piano-led title track and the stripped down acoustics of Dear Abi.

Overall, Primetime Entertainment shows Pet Needs building well on the promise shown by their debut. Packing an undeniably heavy payload of angst and fury but adding on some well crafted songs and lyrics to give it a bit more depth and the occasional curveball to keep you guessing. It certainly shows that this is a band who've got a good grasp on the songwriting craft, especially impressive given their young age. I get the impression it's a case of when rather than if this band go well and truly stellar so get out and see 'em in the smaller venues now while you still can. 

Bandcamp Link

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌔🌑🌑 (8/10)

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