From Perth, Australia comes SOOKS. Their first full-length Moral Decay is fourteen tracks of hardcore punk that explore a variety of contemporary issues. Vocalist Ange delivers a vast range that highlights various emotions in the lyrics. Occasionally, the guitar work reminds me of early Stig Miller. SOOKS throw a lot of variety into this album, with each song having a fresh presentation and multiple shifts within a song. Hands down, Moral Decay by SOOKS is worth owning.
Punk from Perth? Sign me up, always! This is righteous and rage-filled, with densely-penned and poetic lyrics delivered masterfully by vocalist Ange. There is an intimacy only harder driven home by the fearsome playing, especially on tracks like “Integrity” with perfect turns of phrase like “I’m a chronic committer, but I want to quit you.” While everything feels incredibly personal, there is a political fire in this band’s belly as well, serving rallying cries for bodily autonomy and against neoliberalism, crypto, and the climate crisis, while always tying it back to the heart. Overall, this cassette feels like an above-average, sophisticated exploration of big world ideas through a small and focused lens. The results are dizzyingly good.
