Enjoyable punk rock throwback
The Terraces' self-titled ten track is an enjoyable throwback. If you were to think of The Clash, Sex Pistols and Rancid all together you would not be too far off from the sounds crafted by The Terraces on their debut.
The Terraces starts as it means to go on: fast! At 28 minutes short the album is, like many albums of the punk genre, not long. Despite this, it manages to cram in some catchy riffs like those that open up Care About Nothing and 25 Years, the latter of which harks to the picture of olden football boots on the album's cover and shows their love of the sport. The lyrics "playing football in the park you was George Best, I was Cantona'' and "you'll never walk alone'' spring to mind. Opener The Internationals has good drum fills throughout, and the steady-fast beats drive you through to the concluding chants at the end. Union has a super catchy instrumental hook, which bounces along and is completed with handclaps.
They are a band full of snarl and spit. This effect is created in the main part by the skuzzy, Rotten-esque vocals - most evident on Short Back And Sides - giving bite to their punk rock proceedings. These are perhaps best typified by their track entitled Lets Go, which could easily be at home on any old school punk rock band's album.
Whilst being a true punk rocker's delight, this album will not entertain those seeking a challenging listen. The song structures are basic and there are no surprises here. This, along with the lack of change in tempo, at points makes the album drag - especially from track number six through to nine. So, whilst it harks back to old school punk rock in celebratory style, it falls flat on inspiration and fails to offer anything new.