Reading old-schoolers cough up the goods
Beginning with the raucous 'In Out', The Good, The Band and The Ugly kicks off to a promising start, brimming with attitude and snarls. It's clear that they are a tight band, as the pounding drums lead the group into a battle of noise without stopping for an intake of breath.
Each song is a (very) short sharp bite of gritty punk. If you're looking for a melodic, five-minute song complete with solos and interludes, then this is most definitely not for you, with the longest song being a mere 1 minute 57 seconds.
The band, despite being extremely tight, don't seem to want to wander too far off the beaten track, as every fast-paced song follows a very similiar dynamic and the tempo stays the same in the majority of faster songs, such as 'Hangman', 'Short Song' and 'Starfucker'. However, when you've got a strong
sound and know what works, why change it?
It can't be denied that Glueball have a sense of humour. 'Love' (which is mainly made up of 'love' being repeated contstantly) is bound to make even the hardest 'punk rawkers' face crack into a smile, and is infectiously catchy.
There are also some real melodic catchy gems lurking on the album, namely 'Greenbird', 'Rude Girl' and 'Freakshow'. Despite being only slightly over half a minute, 'Rude Girl's' blend of old-school reggae/ska with their signature punk sound works really well - it's just a shame it doesn't last
longer!
The Good, The Band and The Ugly, despite being full of songs lasting no longer than two minutes, is definitely a mixed bag of slow, fast and chilled out songs, and is well worth a listen. It won't change you're world, but it'll certainly make life more fun for half an hour!