The King Blues
Punk and Poetry
Release Date: Apr 18, 2011
Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Ska-Punk
Record label: Transmission
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Album Review: Punk and Poetry by The King Blues
Excellent, Based on 3 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
It's been a difficult 12 months for The King Blues but they've come back fighting... The King Blues’ identity weathered blows from all angles last year – losing a key member before having their topical foundations rocked by a new government, there’s a fair level of anticipation over what they’ve got to say here. With vocalist Itch Fox and guitarist Jamie Jazz remaining at the band’s core, ‘Punk & Poetry’ pairs their musical progression with nods to their past, but what’s consistently stayed the same – and presumably always will – are Itch’s lyrics, which communicate their ethos via the singer’s trademark vocal style.
Based on rating 8/10
Rightwing governments and protest music go together like beans and toast. So, it was somewhat inevitable that the ConDem government would soon spawn a response from musical circles, especially as it sets about dismantling the institutions of British society in the name of 'austerity measures'. And it's unsurprising that long time political activists and agit-punks King Blues' third album, Punk and Poetry travels down the path that many an earnest musician before them has carried a placard upon.
Opinion: Excellent
Punk-rock militants return with watertight new album. Ian Winwood 2011 The American cultural commentator Greil Marcus once observed that "to make true political music you have to say things that decent people don’t want to hear". If this is indeed the case, then Punk & Poetry, the third album from London’s young and restless The King Blues, aces this test with Mensa-like ease.