•
Rating: One of the ugliest punk songs ever made by a leading band, at least as far as the Italian scene is concerned.
But let's not plunge headlong into an accusatory review—let's try to be methodical. Bull Brigade had already considerably softened both their sound and image with the mediocre yet passable IFNSES, a record that made many sneer, but which, all in all, the punk community—known for not being too picky...—accepted fairly well. And judging by the comments around, it seems that basically this new single has also been met with enthusiasm; but to me, it’s disgusting.
The sound doesn’t have the slightest trace of Oi!. Changing things is not at all a crime, but it’s a process that raises these questions: why are they changing? Is what they’re doing now any good? Answers: 1) because they’re getting older, and not gracefully, and maybe want some more money 2) no, it sucks. So I ask myself: why should I be happy and “appreciate the band’s evolution” if all I do is miss the first album? The first two, even. This is a bland pop punk, an ill-fated blend between Oasis and Green Day with a thoroughly trivial timbre. Eugenio Borra has such a distinctive voice, which worked so well on tracks like “Costruito a Torino” or “Dannato pub”, now reduced to a totally lifeless singing, slurring out words like a fake tough guy with an attitude borrowed from some third-rate trapper (if there were ever any first-rate ones). The melody sticks in your head because it works like a radio hit, but it borders on annoying. The chorus is just barely saved by a few melodic ideas that could have been good arranged differently. The lyrics prove that Eugenio Borra is a good, even great, songwriter, but monotonous: after several albums he’s practically run out of ideas and now just picks at random the elements that define him. It comes off as embarrassing: “un’altra night”...? “Segui il culto non dissociarti mai”? Not convincing. Shall we talk about “faccio punk anche se ho chiuso con ‘sti scemi”? What is that supposed to mean? I think Eugenio really feels the need to justify himself—even to himself—that he doesn’t do Oi! anymore. And I’d say that’s telling. So, lyrics that leave no mark.
The video doesn’t say anything, either. More hipster than skinhead. Eugenio’s moves, with that finger always pointing, don’t look like those of someone of sound mind.
I believe Eugenio is trying to modernize the sound of his early Oi! records, both for his own mellowing and a desire to take this sound to a broader audience. The problem? This sound is already out there for the wider public: it’s called chart-topping pop punk. And nobody needed a badass skinhead band to start playing it. And you know the worst part? Now I even recognize hints of this sweetly catchy side in songs like “A Way of Life” or “Sulla Collina.”
The creature born from Eugenio Borra’s hands has taken a bad turn. But the “but” is big: it’s not beyond saving. This song is truly a mess, but Eugy is the one who wrote “Strade Smarrite”, let’s not forget. There’s hope that the album as a whole turns out to be a worthy effort, one that manages to channel this new approach. Sure, lines like “faccio punk anche se ho chiuso coi suoi schemi” promise nothing good, but there’s still some trust that, with the whole album, we will understand and appreciate the ‘Brigade’s intent. This single, however, is just bad. Rating: 53/100.
Loading comments slowly
