It’s all of about three seconds before you realise The Morrisons’ new album, Hard Hoarse, is going to be one helluva wild ride. See You In My Dreams is the mutant offspring of Bad Religion, The Descendents, Minor Threat and The Circle Jerks; Can’t Graduate is sly, dirty and stylish, a punk rock incarnation of a Raymond Chandler character. Sick is all narcissistic swagger and sneering attitude and Not Gonna Grow Old is Radio Birdman painted by The Ramones in Dorian Gray’s attic. Paris is borderline psychotic, a collage of LA punk and Parisian style; She’s Got the Back In Her Eye on Me takes The Stooges’ TV Eye and tears it a new wave orifice.
Cops on the Scene is all over the shop like a dystopian depiction of the breakdown of the modern social democratic state, Cherry is a note-perfect sonic illustration of the nocturnal lunacy of urban youth and Don’t Wanna Act My Age is a statement of denial, philosophical proposition and myopic assertion wrapped up in a Powder Monkeys cloak. You Bore Me Baby is the most honest assessment of the slings and arrows of the emotional condition since the New York Dolls and Heavy is thick, sludgy and angry.
If Hey Girl Won’t You Give Me Your Number is verging on punk rock stalking, You Can’t Beat What You Can’t Defeat On Foot is the Cosmic Psychos in London c.1981 and Sweat rides out down the suburban highway in a blaze of cocksure attitude.
Rock’n’roll was never supposed to be tedious, self-indulgent or boring. And that’s exactly why this album triumphs where so many pallid competitors fail.
BY PATRICK EMERY
Best Track: See You In My Dreams
If You Like These, You’ll Love This: CIRCLE JERKS, THE RAMONES, RADIO BIRDMAN
In A Word: Psychotic
