The Appalled The Appalled LP
Curiosities abound in the approach this English group has taken on what I perceive to be their debut LP. A ragged street rock foundation underpins the album, yet with each track, they stab out in disparate directions. The opener, “Haircut,” offers a punchy four-chord romp that, albeit repetitive, is catchy with a distinct hook and showcases the APPALLED’s most effective weapon: a powerful vocal delivery. This bloke has a set of killer pipes on him. Next song pulls the wheel towards the pub, with a melodic undertone poking out. No radical departure from the formula there, but as the songs wear on, the genre-hopping becomes more apparent, touring through hardcore, UK82, ’77 punk, Oi!…the potency begins to dilute. Nothing egregious, nothing shocking, and I’ll spare you the pun and just say that if they were to pick a lane, the APPALLED could probably leave a more memorable mark.