Cockney Cocks Cross Counter 8″
A four-song release with one ’77-type song, an upbeat pop punk tune, and two pop clunkers, not especially gripping.
MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL
A four-song release with one ’77-type song, an upbeat pop punk tune, and two pop clunkers, not especially gripping.
Pretty atypical for a Japanese release, this all-female combo comes forth with four grungy garage tunes, with production to match. Some fast, some slow, all trash. Primitive.
The female singer of SPERMA has quite a sex-bomb reputation, but her singing doesn’t come across that way. She sounds like a weaker Poly Styrene, and even the band sounds a bit like X-RAY SPEX (minus the sax). Good older-style punk from Japan.
Both of these tracks are on the rock’n’roll side of punk, not unlike the quasi-rockabilly approach of NO ALTERNATIVE several years ago. The A-side rocks harder, but neither track is really that gripping.
The A-side is an unbearable, slow, long, tedious bluesy number never to be heard again. The flip is more in a melodic but tough punk style—OK, but not at all exciting. Disappointing.
More well-done ’77 punk, though there’s a sameness and lack of real fire that ultimately dulls. These KIDS have had plenty of time to liven up, so no excuses for them. Okay pop punk.
While both sides of this release have that funkified dance rhythm, both are listenable in that they maintain an aggressive beat, fairly unproduced guitars, and good shouting. Reminds me of middle-period GANG OF FOUR. OK.
