Hot In The City
Okay kids, sit nicely in a circle while I prepare for a game of pass the parcel, give me a minute as I pull the pin and hand you this, that’s the idea, now you pass it to your neighbour, and so on. You get the picture my friends, our Swiss punk rock outfit going by the monicker Bitch Queens have set off a chain of events that will be near impossible to diffuse, which mimics the global ‘looking down the toilet’ that we all face. After seeing that photo of Jacob Rees-Mogg reclining in Parliament, believe me I am not in the mood for any nonsense.
Praise be then, we have this collection of catchy riffs and radiant choruses, with a hint of volatility and a touch of frivolity in the lyrics to bring everything into perspective.
Visually and sonically we venture into Hip Priests( oh yeah!) and CHRISTMAS territory, unwavering and unashamedly raising the two-finger salute to the abysmal life cycle we currently endure, except for Mr Rees- Mogg, that is.
Opener ‘City Of Class’ shouts ‘you can buy high standards at the local corner store’ which is significant in the current climate of nepotism and scratching the right back.
More lyrics borne of systematic failures in our society with ‘maybe it’s the horse tranquiliser he slipped into your drink’ oh my, such a tragic occurrence.
A tale of disrespecting parameters and excess that many bands experience in ‘Especially Danny’ focusses on the over enthusiasm of some fans which then leads down a very slippery slope.
We’ve all had the ‘you are in a queue, our advisers are currently busy’ the droning soundtrack that the message is set to, well with ‘On And On’ we see it animated and connected to a hopeless relationship, spot on if you ask me.
This record is fuelled, like many of its predecessors by, frustration, emptiness and the desire to be understood and accepted as an equal. It’s been done before, maybe better some would argue but that’s up to you my friends. Personally, I’m all for a little musical revolution and dissention.
The obligatory never say die anthem is found in ‘Never Say Never’ and we end this quite abrupt, brash and boisterous album.
There’s a riot in the city folks, be there or be square!
Bitch Queens – City Of Class out 27 September via LuxNoise Records