Telford's PUKK, Seven For A Secret - album review
Telford's former Unsigned column stars PUKK are back with their second record - and there's a real story to it.
A proper concept album, songwriter and frontman Joe Chalmers has come up with his own gritty TV show. Inspired by the likes of Black Country-filmed, Birmingham-based Peaky Blinders, Tin Star, Ozark and the kind of killer cinema that has made Quentin Tarantino so popular – the album tells the story of two murders from the perspectives of three unnamed characters.
Their names remain a mystery (Chalmers revealed those in an accompanying open letter with the album) but you are invited into their mindset via a murder ballad, blues rock, indie-pop and a lot of other stuff in between.
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PUKK have already shown themselves to be competent record makers. Last year's debut record Feckless and follow-up EP Crashing both impressed, with Chalmers' soothing vocals holding court over the top of some gritty guitar work and Mark Beamson's rhythmic drumming.
And this time the album takes place over five 'sections' - Prologue, Acts I, II and III, and an Epilogue. The Prologue consists of one simple, acoustic, danger-filled track. The deep percussion and backing to The Ballad Of Broken Bones is both dangerous and delicious. Chalmers really lowers his voice for this one and it is tinged with the kind of whiksy-filled story-telling that takes place in backstreet bars on a daily basis.
It's not all downtrodden and gloomy though, despite what it sounds like. There's some really uplifting music here too. Scars And Fences channels Britpop-era guitar rock in that exceptional intro and we're left with a zinging and hopeful sound throughout with the melodies.
There's a heavy dose of bass-laden funk, too, with Bullish. It's hard not to get the feet tapping with everything that swirls beneath Chalmers' vocals here. The same can be said for preceding single Drag The Lake. It's almost Interpol-esque with its stomping bass that grabs the attention throughout.
Again produced by Gavin Monaghan at Wolverhampton's Magic Garden Studios (apart from No Place Like, Dive Bar Ultra Star and the title track put together in the back bedroom of PUKK HQ) it carries a slick and polished sound that belies the completely DIY way PUKK operate. It's released again via their own Tidy Karma Recordings imprint and contains all the raw personal touches their predecessor carried.
There's far too much intelligent songwriting going on here to remain underground for ever.
Rating: 7/10
The album is available on vinyl or CD or to buy digitally right now on PUKK's Bandcamp page - it will be released to the usual streaming outlets on January 1, 2020. The physical version contains two extra tracks that won't be available to stream. For more on PUKK follow them on Twitter and Facebook, both at @OfficialPukk
