Search - Briefs :: Sex Objects

Excellent retro 70's punk

Paul J. Escamilla | NYC | 10/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As someone who grew up on classic punk back in the late 70's and early 80's, I can attest to the fact that the Briefs do an amazing job of recreating the snotty, melodic punk of that era.



The first time I heard them I was sort of freaking out, wondering if I had been caught in some kind of time warp and transported back to 1979 or 1980. Was this a band from back then that I had somehow never heard of? Or was this a current band that magically re-embodies the energetic spirit of classic punk?



Turns out it's the latter, and I take my hat off to the Briefs. They pump out song after song of catchy, snotty, and hook-filled classic punk that gets me almost as excited (in 2005) as the Clash, the Vibrators, the Damned, Sham 69, the Buzzcocks and others did (in 1978-9).



Sure, it ain't original. Some might say it's just Punk-By-Numbers, and in a way, it is. There's no doubt these guys have earnestly studied the classic English punk records and molded themselves in that image. But it's easier said than done well.



There's tons of bands that emulate the classic punk era, with varying degrees of success. Some, like Green Day and Rancid, have even ridden that horse all the way to mainstream success.



What sets the Briefs apart, in my opinion, is that somehow, they manage to make their music without the whiff of nostalgia. They don't sound like a band that grew up in the 90's listening to classic punk from 20 years before. Somehow, miraculously, they manage to sound like they actually ARE a classic punk band from the 70s...they sound like the real thing. From the production values, to the song structures, to the guitar tone, to the melodies, to the perfectly snotty vocals, the Briefs get it right.



If the material weren't strong, I'd say, "So what?", but with songs this good I can't help but get excited by this record and by this band. It makes me feel 14 again. It makes me wanna sell all my classic rock LP's again (like I did when i was 14) and trade them for Undertones and Stranglers and UK Subs albums. It makes me wanna start a punk band again. It makes me wanna get a Slurpee and play Space Invaders at 7-11 til 2 in the morning and then go drive around town listening to Crass and the Ramones. That's how it makes me feel, and I like it."

Straight-forward punk - the way it should be.

A. Liebling | Long Island City, NY United States | 08/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After reviewing like 200 CDs in a row that were either emo, "melodic punk" (aka emo), "poetic indie" (aka bad emo), and "heartfelt hook-laden melodic rock that defies genres" (aka really bad emo), it's great to listen to a real punk band. The guitars and song structures are straight-forward peppy '70s punk, with the vocals affecting a snotty, fake British tone. A little early Clash, a little Undertones, a little New York Dolls and Heartbreakers, but with singalong background vox that bring to mind early British street punk. Songs are simple and choruses are exactly how punk choruses should be - dumb at face value, but damn catchy when repeated over and over. I had heard great things about these guys, and they live up to the hype. 14 great, catchy tracks."