Smalltown "The Music" (Deranged)
By Abel Folgar
Thursday. Jun 02, 1:17 AM
Melodic, anthemic Swedish punk rock.

By now everybody knows I’m perfectly okay with the Scandinavian onslaught that has quietly occurred since The Hives busted the doors down. Unfortunately that didn’t mean a reduction in price for Terveet Kadet, Rude Kids, Anti Cimex, or Rattus records. Following in the fine tradition of poppier outfits, Smalltown belt out 12 soulful, fully realized tracks of melodic anthem punk rock.

Gruff vocals, commanding bass lines, and solid guitar and drum work makes the album a real treat for those of us in continued punk rock scavenging. “What’s Going On?” and the title track give the front half good guitar riffage weight. The closing three, “Upside Down,” “Smalltown,” and “A Room With a View” reminded me at times of Propaghandi and Rhythm Collision, but the overall feel is more in tune with mod Brits The Jam and the street savvy of Stiff Little Fingers.

Solid first full-length that, yup, leaves you wanting more. Deranged also has on catalog a disc of their vinyl-only releases, but you know me and my advice is: seek out those 7”ers!!! They just finished their European tour and a North America one is advertised, so check the website for updates.
www.smalltownsweden.com
www.derangedrecords.com

Abel Folgar

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