Released by 49's vs Dolphins, 08/03/2010



NOW seems to be a brilliant time for post-hardcore, or at least complex punk. Few of the big names from the early noughties- Thrice, Thursday, et al have lost their popularity and there’s a whole slew of new bands breaking onto the scene. Just a few days ago Deaf Havana - like Alexisonfire but from Norfolk - were the most requested band on Scuzz TV. And the likes of Pulled Apart by Horses, with their early-Idlewild meets angular punk rock sound, and the ever-visceral Gallows are packing out venues across the country.

Into this milieu now step Nottingham-based three-piece Dead Spex. The trio have been touring clubs in the East Midlands and Yorkshire for the past year and have now put out debut EP 'Her Knee and She'. And it’s a tight, often explosive effort.

Sounding like cult Chicago bay area punk rockers The Ghost with a rocket up their arse, Dead Spex are a band made for bouncing around in sweaty dives. And the opener and title-track with its screaming crescendo is the track to start people moving. It’s a ferocious collection of short riffs forming a more accomplished whole than the average recently-formed band.

The trio's ability to turn in a complex breakdown is pleasingly in evidence on 'Swan Song'. And by third tune 'No Soap Radio' it’s clear Dead Spex have mastered keeping the pace up without their tunes sounding too similar - something which makes their kind of music preferable to bog-standard DIY.

Most surprising about the EP, however, is the quality of its production. Far from the usual buzzing noise associated with independent releases every word is audible and each strum of the guitar crystal clear.

Posted In Single Reviews, Mar 31 2010. Words - Cris