I’d say they were the heirs to the early COCKNEY REJECTS and other “working class” “football chant” UK bands, but this band actually predates most of them. I don’t know how long they disappeared, but their return is most welcome, especially on this disc. All the tracks are catchy, exuberant, and powerful. A good one.
After hearing the first three cuts on Side A, with their punchy mid-tempo attack, melodic high-powered guitars, and uplifting choruses, I was on the verge of raving about the survival of COCK SPARRER in top form. But despite the greatness of those songs (one of which—”Where Are They Now”—is a blistering critique of the punks of ’77), and one interesting track with a pronounced KINKS-ish feel (“Out on an Island”), the rest of the album slides into more pedestrian rock ’n’ rolly material.
Long-lost proto-Oi band COCK SPARRER have unexpectedly returned. This new release showcases their peculiarly melodic, buzzing guitars, and high-pitched vocals that sound like like a cross between soccer choruses and the singing of certain glam-rock bands from the ’72-’74 era (SWEET, SLADE, etc.). Though “England Belongs to Me” is avowedly an attempt to take the Union Jack back from the extreme right and make it a symbol for all Englishmen, it still reflects a reactionary world-view where petty nationalism is glorified.
