Album Evaluation
The Drain On The Balcony
Outsider Artwork
Native Underground and Previous Dangerous Habits Label
12” Vinyl, CD, DL
Preorder for launch 15 September 2025
As soon as described as Solihull’s greatest acoustic punk band, they shaped in 1977 and reformed in 2009. Their music is a mix of punk, pop, people, C86, post-punk and Indie pop say their (Greek) label. One other nice, misplaced, ‘Outsider Artwork’ band – simply the sort Ged Babey loves in his seek for misplaced gems from his era of former teenage punks, now nearing bus-pass age.
I shouldn’t begin a evaluation like this, however, you-know-me…
There are a few actually shit, completely pointless, self-indulgent-bollocks tracks on this album…. I Speak To The Pants and Vegetable Mantra to call and disgrace them.
The veg one is definitely just about verbatim from somebody on a zoom convention in lockdown the band informed me. I eat twenty-four sorts of greens… I preserve them on a spreadsheet.
For. Fucks. Sake.
However regardless of that, and possibly even due to it, Outsider Artwork will get my seal of approval.
I ought to rapidly add that there are a minimum of three different songs that are among the many greatest I’ve heard this 12 months. Affecting, articulate and poetic… actually, fucking sensible.
On first fast hear of Outsider Artwork, I scribbled down this, to remind myself later: Like a cross between the Determined Bicycles and Martha & the Muffins… Including – which feels like an insult, however the extra you truly give it some thought, it’s actually the best reward.
I despatched it to the drummer within the band, who I do know as ‘Rocker’, and have met in real-life, a pair instances. “Cheers, we’ll take that!” He replied.
Since ‘The Drain’ he has been a member of the Rosehips, the Flatmates and Arrest! Charlie Tipper. He’s the one band member from The Drain On The Balcony to go on to ‘cult infamy’ – the remainder of them settled down and have become household males. He runs the Native Underground label which carry out releases by the bands he’s related to and is as all-round native music fanatic and ‘activist’.
And whereas we’re as regards to the band identify – I assume that it’s a type of… ‘What lets name the band?’ conversations which ended with…”Very first thing we see after we look out of the window…!” So fortunately, they don’t seem to be referred to as ‘Two Canines Shagging’.
In addition to the 2 aforementioned ‘shit’ songs, the three near-genius songs on Outsider Artwork are: Monitor 13 of the 13, Two Legs In The Desert. An adaptation of the poem Ozymandias, famously reinterpreted by Stranglers JJ Burnel on a 1979 b-side, it’s a poem I am keen on.
It’s a tune about lastly realising that it’s time to maneuver on and retire – cos in a thousand years your achievements can be as nugatory because the damaged base of the statue.
One other is a tune referred to as unhelpfully ‘Riff’. It incorporates a part of a nursery rhyme, which I oddly solely keep in mind from Methodist Sunday College circa 1969. If You’re Completely happy And You Know It, Clap Your Palms... It creates that good mixture of nostalgia and 60-something wallowing that was positive to ensnare me. It truly stands as a chunk of poetry in the event you think about Stevie Smith studying it fairly than that standard 1970’s West Nation poetess who shall stay anonymous.
It’s the disappointment of ready that’s getting me down
Ready for modifications that don’t come round
Watching the river slide into the ocean
Leaving me misplaced like a stone on the seaside
(full lyric on the finish of evaluation.)
Smile In My Coronary heart – a love tune worthy of Pete Shelley or Galaxie 500 with fabulous ‘Hammond‘ organ and brass and a leisurely tempo. A tune a couple of couple nonetheless in love in later-life, it features a nice relatable line ‘We haven’t ‘grown up’ like the best way we’re purported to….‘ nonetheless laughing at silliness regardless of going by means of ‘dark-times’. Like I say, a real-life true-love tune for older lovers.
Butterfly Woman and Take Me Dwelling Tonight are fab: however pure C86 sort pop love-songs. There may be quite a lot of selection on Outsider Artwork although.
Opening observe is OS Artwork – a nod to Swell Maps HS Artwork however a vocoder-heavy observe which jogs my memory of Chumbawamba circa the sensible Shhh! album.
The Large Ship is a bit Cool Jerk for my liking and I don’t get the reference – however does have some nice spikey guitar and bongos interaction because it progresses.
Revolution 10 is textual content from Bob Marley recited with sympathetic reggae backing and stands out because of this.
Copcut Lane is a candy, parochial vignette – and presumably a favorite of the band as they selected to make a video. It options the bells of St Michael’s Church, Salwarpe and has an Solely Ones ‘Miles From Nowhere’ sort sentiment lyrically and might be a chief instance of a complete new style referred to as Retirement Rock.
Catherine is a bit annoyingly ‘Beatles’ and possibly a tad too soppy… saved by being self-referential and cute: – Catherine, you’re a two-song woman. (The sleeve notes inform us Catherine Turrell, lived someplace close to Lyon round 1979 ). It should’ve been some vacation romance to nonetheless be remembered in any case this time.
The DOTB are a really achieved band on the quiet and have written some extremely good songs: which have a coronary heart and soul, subtlety, wit and pathos.
The entire band members sing and write the songs – however none are distinctive vocalists so the bands id is within the songcraft and musicianship fairly than the lead vocal – a recipe for ‘industrial catastrophe’ if ever there was one.
A fast hearken to the 5 earlier Drain On The Balcony albums and I’ve to conclude that that is ‘one of the best’ solely when it comes to manufacturing as a result of they all the time appear to have been fascinating and open-hearted songwriters who may’ve been contenders.
I kinda get the sensation that they’re content material with being Outsider Artists, the Cult Band They Are – Cherished By The Few – Making Artwork for the Love-of-It: songs to make you smile and really feel less-alone…
Plus a pair bloody terrible songs about pants and greens in a willful act of self-sabotage simply to check the loyalty of their followers!
Purchase from Bandcamp (Digital solely)
Purchase from Bandcamp (Vinyl)
All phrases Ged Babey with press launch content material & lyrics in italics.
RIFF (lyric by Martin)
It’s the disappointment of ready that’s getting me down
Ready for modifications that don’t come round
Watching the river slide into the ocean
Leaving me misplaced like a stone on the seaside
It’s the coldness of standing that’s chilling my coronary heart
Watching my fingers and toes collapse
Like a rusted signal together with the highway
Pointing to locations the place no person goes
It’s the stillness of listening that empties my thoughts
Leaving my desires and my recollections behind
It’s the worry of shifting pins my ft to the ground
Realizing there’s nowhere to go anymore
And right here comes the marching band
If I’m blissful and I do know it then I’ll clap my palms
And stamp my ft and leap spherical
’Til any person tells us it’s time to fall down
I learn the morning paper
The headline mentioned I used to be alive
Although my physique temperature
Had dropped proper down to 5
A person knocked on the door
He had a face identical to the solar
He mentioned I ought to preserve Christmas free
’Cos I’m the chosen one
Please salute the marching band
They’ve performed an anthem for our land
So stamp your ft and leap round
’Til any person tells you to show it down
(C) The Drain On The Balcony
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