V/A Sniffing Glue UK Punk: 1979–1982 LP
Arriving starkly with a cut-and-paste sleeve and plain white labels, this Sniffing Glue compilation is as deliciously unofficial as it gets, opening an illicit portal to some excellent unsung first-wave action. Regardless of your punk snob pedigree, there’s a heavy chance you haven’t heard most of this stuff yet. Opening up with a dopey little sing-along and clumsily bouncing bass line, the title track performed by ANTI STATE CONTROL quickly shifts into some of the snappiest UK82 this side of the PARTISANS. The band’s spirited sound continues across two more tracks, kicking this collection off on a high note. Next up is VERTICAL STROKERS, a Bishop’s Stortford unit that once shared stages with the EPILEPTICS. These scrappy lads serve up a lighthearted and poppy number in “Saturday Girls” that’s followed by the darker “Holidays,” whose piercing urgency comes from the inclusion of a shrieking violin. From the same scene, URBAN DECAY provides two four-chord stompers, each thick with roughshod DIY charm. Their slow-burning “Sex Assault” ends the A-side in a smoky haze. EASY ACTION starts the flipside sounding like a cross between MICK FARREN & THE DEVIANTS and the DRONES. Their catchy “Burning a Hole” is easily the closest thing to a Top 40 hit that you’ll find on this record. Up next is the GROOVE, whose “I Want to Be a Pygmy” has a distinct early BUZZCOCKS vibe, while “I’m in Love” echoes Leamington Spa’s cheeky SHAPES. Finally, we have the SODS from Essex (not to be confused with the better-known, Danish SODS), who, like many acts of the era, brought a bit of pub rock influence to the party. Their organ-driven bop comes off like a lo-fi STRANGLERS mixed with the RADIATORS FROM SPACE. In the end, this unexpected round-up scrapes the edges of the punk history barrel to pull out some surprisingly satisfying B-list material. Now run along and track your copy down.