Little muthapunker's!!
It would be too easy to write these guys off from the start. Four boys barely in their teens with whom three are brothers, sounds like something out of a television show rather than an ass-kicking-punk-band that we have here.
First song 'Get In The Van' jumps in with music that is very much like Dead Pets, and although the vocals from Bobby Bentham are obviously higher than most punk vocals, he does possess a natural punk sneer to his voice that will no doubt border on Billt Idol-esque in years to come, but now resembles a fine comparison to Joan Jett. It's quick, punchy and catchy as hell.
Quite often we don't expect an act like this to have any integrity because in order to write good songs you have to live a certain lifestyle, however these boys have obviously observed the world of others well. 'Be Yourself' is probably one of the least catchy songs but is still good with it's intelligent lyrics. This leads us to four covers all in a row. There is the immature pop-punk of 'Junk Food', and the quite amazing Tom Waite song 'I Don't Wanna Grow up', which is a classic Ramones meets Rancid rock'n'punk catchy as hell blast.
'Summer Of Rock'N'Roll' kicks out with teenage angst as another anthem, and it's a real pleasure to have a band from Blighty embrace punk and not the indie-drival that is surrounding and suffocating the music industry. 'My Mum Says' reminds us again that these boys are only youngsters with it's tongue-in-cheek lyrics, but with sing-a-long verses and choruses it would take a sombre guy to not smile and nod along.
'Rock & Roll Oul4w' is another quick two and a half minute blast of catchy punk and it is obvious that there are no weak songs here. 'Television Addict' tells of the tales of watching telly, obviously! Perhaps they will turn into drinking songs, and stories of broken hearts when they receive these experiences, but hey, you've got to sing about what you know about.
The album finishes with a cover of The Casulties song 'If The Kids Are United' and once again Bobby has a fine go at copying the vocals, and it's the fact that they listen to bands like this and not Franz Ferdiand, S Club 7 and Euro pop, that help you appreciate them.
Outl4w could be described as a punk version of Hansen, boasting raw talent at a tender age, and a creativity that many bands twice their age still fail to grasp! This is a fine debut album from a band that could so easily be a joke. They've already been around for two years and after receiving over 30,000 votes, came runners up in the national Rockschool competition at London's Marquee Club. But just who the hell is Jeremy Bentham?