S’Why – Culture Abuse

I couldn’t look back over 2018 without plucking another track from the band who surprised me most with their evolution this year. I saw Culture Abuse about ten days before Bay Dream dropped and then again about a week later because they’d really turned my head at that first show.

Bay Dream is a rock solid pop punk record with a laid back attitude and the sort of melodies you’d associate with San Francisco and a looser easier type of music. Ananananana Yet, It’s totally punk. I mean punk AF. From a band who’ve made hard unforgiving melody free self financed split singles with pictures of bricks photocopied on the covers in the past this is a heck of a step. Peach showed they had the song writing nous in the past but was as spiky a punk record as the packaging would have had you believe.

S’Why is a perfect example of what I’m talking about when it comes to their development. I could have just as easily chosen Bee Kind To The Bugs or Calm E (Call Me) to demonstrate the melodic core under their beer drinkers and hell raisers image.

But I’ve gone for S’Why because it’s the one I find myself singing under my breath in the kitchen while making dinner or standing on a garage forecourt filling the car. It’s a hooky little blighter.

Happy New Year!