Album Review: No Gods by Sharks

Brit pop rockers Sharks impress on their debut full-length... Having already shared a stage with Gallows, The Gaslight Anthem and Social Distortion, it’s hard to believe this is the debut full-length from these Leamington Spa lads. Fortunately, it at least justifies the hype. Combining ’70s breakthrough punk with today’s broader definitions of the genre, Sharks have forged a unique sound for themselves that is cemented in place on ‘No Gods’.

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Ever since these Leamington Spa punks’ raw, self-released 2008 EP ‘Shallow Waters’ turned the surf red, we’ve been waiting hungrily for their debut full-length. Luckily, ‘No Gods’ doesn’t disappoint. ‘Arcane Effigies’ is a blissful, guitar-driven paean to young adulthood, but with enough grit to soundtrack the next of Shane Meadows’ cinematic efforts.

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Inspired by everyone from Charles Bukowski to Gallows, Leamington Spa quartet Sharks have been described as the saviors of British punk by the rock press, championed by the likes of the Clash's Mick Jones and Frank Turner, and invited on tour by the Gaslight Anthem and Social Distortion since their arrival on the scene five years ago. So it comes as something of a surprise that their debut album, No Gods, is such a tame affair. Frontman James Mattock has the suitably snarling vocal style down to a T, while there are the occasional flashes of boisterousness, as on the punchy opener "Til the Wonders Rise" and the sweaty pogo-inducing "Matthew's Baby.

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A cracking debut from a rightly rising British band with real crossover appeal. Alistair Lawrence 2012 A band with genuine crossover appeal in an age where the internet has blurred the lines between genres like never before, Leamington Spa outfit Sharks embrace their love of classic punk rock and indie music in equal measure. "We’re the overestimated underdogs / What you await from us now you can’t get / From yourself" says opening track ‘Til the Wonders Rise, a curious indication of how the band perceives itself.

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Sharks make no secret of the fact that they live and breathe punk music. Raised on a teenage riff-rich diet of Green Day and angsty poetry by much-revered hero of the blue-collared American, Bukowski, they have also name-checked The Stooges, amongst others. It would appear they are getting some loving back too. Mick Jones of The Clash has publicly expressed his affection for the band.

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