Album review: The Kimberly Steaks – “Big Noise”

Brassneck Records, Bloated Kat Records – 18 August 2023

Welcome To Paradise!

They really take their pop punk seriously on the other side of the pond.  The Ramones are still religiously revered and and they have loads of love for Lookout! Records and its founder Larry Livermore who was a longtime UK resident. Possibly a stretch but it’s my belief that this Glaswegian trio The Kimberly Steaks are an extension if not the embodiment of those sentiments and their latest release, Big Noise, for me solidifies that belief. I know I’m not all by myself though I may be in the minority, but I’ve been waiting in misery for new material from these jaded punks and the wait is finally over. I’ve seen them a number of times and even had the pleasure of playing a show with them in a good friends living room when I was living in London so I may be a bit biased but, if I’m coming clean, they might just be my favorite band from that lovely little island off of the European coast and they don’t dare disappoint. 

You can easily make as many comparisons as you like, maybe a wee bit of Weezer, a hint of Houseboat, their Scottish brethren The Murderburgers, or even The Ergs, but let’s get one thing out of the way. Their greatest influence is undoubtedly Green Day and I fucking love Green Day. Many American idiots have tried yet few have accurately achieved the same sort of similarities in terms of sound and I sincerely say that as a compliment. It’s like they took the seeds of the first few albums and planted them in Scotland and what sprouted was The Kimberly Steaks. I’m not saying they’re carbon copies, they’re incredibly creative and there are certainly clear contrasts but the coincidences are uncanny. 

But these a far from the same old songs and we’re not talking one trick ponies here either. Some are more classically rock inclined like “Wait” which starts off sparkling clean while they slowly take their amps from on the edge of breakup to straight up rock n’ roll territory, and “Time” with their quintessential flutter in the chord changes, a grungy minor chord feel for good measure until ending with the rhythm section in the pocket. A little power pop prowess. “Hollowed Out,” the debut single, fits firmly in this category as well and it’s all about the vocal melody and harmonious backing vocals, a staple in their sonic repertoire. 

Songs like “Ducks,” by far the fastest, is the fuel injected, double timed ditty with a hint of dissonance in the exit and “Piss it Away,” the shortest song on the record with a solo that mimics the vocal melody, represent the heavier side of the Steaks. “Try not to piss is all away…” In and out, one and done. 30 second songs should be standard. Who needs verses and choruses anyway? In the end, they’re short, sweet, and swift. 

Some tracks show them saddling up to their experimental side as well like the 3/4 timed “34” with its soft open, jazz tinged ending and addition of an organ, or  just having a little fun with a phase pedal on “Tank” While some are just bang on the brats from the Bay Area. Songs like “Decapitator” with a call and response from the string section and chorded bass solo in the bridge or “Alive” with a gnarly guitar solo and snare shuffle in the second verse could have easily been b-sides from Nimrod. “Crutch,” where both guitar and bass are walking the line along the way with a catchy cascading lead lick or “Falling In” with that familiar bass inflection in the intro could have easily been stolen from Dookie! 

My favorite offering, which is slightly uncharacteristic of me, might be the down tempo closer “Not The Life.” It’s a slow burning banger that begins with just voice and guitar, building as it ebbs and flows in intensity and ends with a pleasantly plucked acoustic serenade,  a bit of Americana from the Scots as a parting gift.  

Despite their differences, what this collection of cantations do have in common is that every song is a singalong, earworms are everywhere! Vocally, our humble narrator is no Billie Joe Armstrong, but he’s still charmingly recognizable and the harmonies are as sweet as honey. There’s lots of lonely guitar moments but the tones are spread out across the spectrum from completely clean to slightly over driven, from fantastically fuzzy to as crunchy as a bag of crisps while also leaving plenty of room for the rhythm section to play around in the pocket at times and others stand on their own. Every instrument gets its moment to basque in the sun, an opportunity to walk alone, and believe me when I say these might just be the best basslines you’ll hear all year. Bet. Root notes are for rookies, eat your heart out Mike Dirnt.  One thing’s for sure, they were having a blast composing the sonic soundscape of their fourth full length and they’re dropping knowledge on my generation and those thereafter, carrying the 90’s flag in the Macy’s Day Parade and protesting with their westbound signs. 

With constant two part harmonies and impeccable instrumentation, this 3 piece is a triple threat. There’s just a little something different compared to past works, a pinch of experimentation scattered throughout the record, but the songwriting is far from redundant. They’re criminally underrated and undeniable unique with a sound that should be ubiquitous given the similarities to those sweet, sweet children. Don’t bother to wake me up when September ends because this is the stuff dreams are made of.