The South London trio offer a whirlwind round up of a youth and a life lived at full tilt.
Words by Karl Johnson
From the jangling opening guitar chords of Hide to the murky and sleazy punk waters of The Drip, South East London natives PLAY DEAD offer a screenshot into the life of three Gen-Z teenagers growing up in Herne Hill. The weapon of choice here is abrasive and DIY-led punk music, the jigsaw-esque storylines of boredom, messy days at Brockwell Park, recreational drug use and starting a band in your bedroom, all offer a glimpse into their current existence as teenagers in the capital.
With a distant nod to the vocal output of the Minutemen, the lightning-paced second track of the EP Skint clocks in at just over one minute, it offers a teeth-clenching journey of being collectively broke and chucking in change for beer you’re too young to afford. Shaun, “an ode to bassist Ollie’s nan’s boyfriend,” only increases the tempo and ferocity and is perhaps the hookiest track on the EP, it’s all full-power guitars and drums complete with a call and response vocal delivery that provides a playful element to the trio’s bold sound, and points towards the early output of Tunbridge Wells duo Slaves (remember Where’s Your Car Debbie?)
All five tracks of the EP are done and dusted in 10min 14secs, leaving the listener to breathe in the fumes of London life and wait until the smog clears. What’s for certain is that PLAY DEAD‘s EP makes for a spine-shattering listen for fans of lean and watertight punk through the eyes of a disengaged youth. It’s out now on Blitzcat Records.
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