77 Spears: Tears For Spears – EP review

EP review

77 Spears: Tears For Spears (77 Spears)

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Out now

Second self-released EP from a new band who describe themselves succinctly as ‘noise from Northern England’.  A new generation of emotional hardcore punk? Ged Babey reviews… 

Loud and aggressive yet subtle and catchy… 77 SPEARS ponder upon existential questions and the absurdities of modern life against a wall of heartfelt punk-rock fury.

I will be 60 in 16 months and I think I might finally be ‘growing out’ of punk rock… at least the hardcore, loud and fast, in-your face variety. I find it exhausting just to listen to… too fast, I can’t hear all ‘the words’…

Relentless guitars sit upon a restless rhythm section, with layered lashings of lyrical poetry lurking somewhere in the mix. Elements of minimalism, post-punk, psych, and pop are filtered through the lens of 80s-hardcore punk into short, sharp snapshots of modern DIY music.

Every now and then though, I will listen to a new band and I change my mind. Girls In Synthesis, for example, take things to a whole new level.  Even bands like Kicked In The Teeth take an old format and make it sound new and vital through sheer commitment. 77 Spears on just their second EP sound like they are on a mission.

77 SPEARS IS: Joe… 6-strings / Graeme… sticks / Tj… shouting / Dave… 4-strings

(77 Spears ARE, not IS.  For Fuck Sake, didn’t they teach you any grammar at school?)

Here is the truth of the matter:  First listen. Blam-blam-blam Waaaah! – thrashy Motorhead meets Therapy? sound  – there are a hundred hardcore bands that sound like this…. second listen – I read the lyric sheet and ‘Behind the lyrics’ statements which give the background and inspirations for the songs.  I’m interested and listen again…more closely.

Day I Fynd

Crushed life, I cry, contemplate suicide… I’m broken,
Inside I try to escape this haunted mind but I’m frozen,
Cut loose, no use, put my neck in the noose… I’m choking,
Your voice and my choice brought me back from this loss – keep going.

Still breathing. Still healing. Still feeling.
Still hurting. Still yearning. Still learning.

This is a song about grief and absolute loss, but it’s also about moving on from sorrow to honour the memory of a loved one and embrace a life yet to live. The Welsh phrase ‘Day I Fynd’ translates (at least in my humble interpretation) as ‘Still going’ or ‘Keep going’ and can be used in a couple of ways. For example, if someone asks how you are when you’re not so great, you might use it in a humorous or self-deprecating way whilst you push on regardless. Or it can be used in a motivational sense. I first heard it over 20 years ago from someone who has become a close friend. I was struck by his offering of encouragement and help to those he didn’t know. This was a phrase of his and it always stuck with me. It’s stoic, it’s human, it’s honest.

This make me think of Minor Threat and all the early Dischord label stuff – and the beginnings of what got called ‘Emotional Hardcore’ – a branch of Straight Edge – which eventually was shortened and then distorted out of all recognisable shape as it became more and more commercialised over the years and decades… and became that most mocked of genres: Emo.

I can remember the time when Emo meant serious, ‘progressive’ hardcore that caused a split in the local punk scene in the early 1990’s. The STE hardcore collective were putting on more and more bands like Bob Tilton and another collective started by Cov John, called Oomff! started up to concentrate on the more traditional ‘tuneful’ and ‘less serious’ touring hardcore bands. They were personified by local perennial support act Stu Dent & the Wankers.  I kept a foot in both camps – the emotional hardcore was interesting and intense stuff – but you couldn’t beat a bit of slapstick punk on a Saturday night.

Back to 77 Spears:  They do short, fast, effective, intense music and they do it well – but what sets them apart is a raging need by the singer/lyricist to express himself.  Here are two more examples.

Set my sights, set my goals, I see it clear.
I hold no grudge, I have no shame and I’ve got no fear.

I struggle with restlessness, with stasis, and I like to be on the go. But at the same time, I sometimes fear what lies ahead and lack confidence. I think we all do. As humans we come into this world alone and die alone, to paraphrase Orson Welles. I don’t actually believe that’s true, but I think it’s a useful phrase to help determine self-identity. Trying to understand myself honestly rather than how others may judge me, whether good or bad, is an important step in growing as a human and healing past wounds.

Ask yourself what hope and faith means,
Love your life and dare to believe,
Look around the world that you see,
Take a chance, make the change.

I’m on fire…now watch me burn

It took me so long to figure things out; who I am, what I’m worth, what I’m all about. I value the things that can’t be replaced; my love, my family, my hope, my faith.

If you want music and songs that are intense and introspective but raging and exercises in self-exorcism, yet at the same time are loud and life-affirming, then 77 Spears are for you.

If you want comedy punk with slapstick and greasepaint then there is plenty of that around.

Maybe it is time that hardcore got serious again: not necessarily a re-run of ‘early emo’ (77 Spears aren’t that) – just a new rage with articulate anger and a few answers as well as questions.

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All words Ged Babey except song lyrics in bold italics / Behind The Lyrics text in plain italics – taken from band Info sheet.

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