It’s strange how eerily true some clichés can be, but there’s more than enough evidence in music to suggest that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Take these constants, for instance:
1. The UK has been and continues to be the leaders in turning out the world’s greatest bands.
2. Despite such dominance, America remains the King of Punk Rock.
Point #2 was worth bragging about back in the ‘70s when groups like The New York Dolls and The Ramones had a clear influence on the UK punk scene. But today, the American punk landscape is dotted with sub-par gate crashers who managed to buy an invitation to the party. Yet strangely, that hasn’t stopped the Brits from continuing to model themselves after their US cousins.
Witness The Fight. It would seem the female-led foursome from England can’t get enough of the finger-snapping apathy and weekend mall ennui made famous by our turn-of-the-century Yankee punkers. Already with an EP and the Fat Wreck experience in its portfolio, The Fight is set to unveil its debut release on Repossession Records, Nothing New Since Rock N Roll.
The album title alone exudes more irony than a Shakespearian tragedy, yet the virgin effort isn’t all bad news. Despite infusing itself with today’s radio-friendly pseudo-punk potion, The Fight has done just enough to differentiate itself from the masses. That is to say the four members have done enough to endear themselves to local fans and hence establish some modicum of success in their homeland.
Between driving its sound with a fresh female voice (vocalist K8) and showing the audience a variety of moods, Nothing New Since Rock N Roll has a few winners hiding among the rubble of also-rans. “No More Legend” captures the mid-tempo mood of the mild-mannered Bad Religion we came to know in the ‘90s, while kicking in a few Stryper/Iron Maiden guitar harmonies for extra brownie points. Even tracks like “Stage Skool Kidz” and “Revolution Calling” shine a beacon of hope in otherwise murky waters.
In fact, if The Fight spent less time bouncing on a trampoline, they might find themselves with a product worthy of its name. However, if The Fight’s sole intention is to mimic the sound popularized the MTV-sanctioned set, then god can only hope their efforts are an attempt to take it off our hands for good.
