Album Review: V**gra Boys – Street Worms

Punk solidifies its importance and relevance in the modern world with V**gra Boys’ debut Street Worms.

Punk music has made a resurgence over the years. Beginning with Sleaford Mods, Eagulls and Fat White Family, the genre appears to be entering the mainstream with the likes of Slaves, IDLES and Shame, and many more up and coming bands. V**gra Boys are one of these great new bands, and their debut album Street Worms proves that they could be one of the best in this new wave of punk rock.

Stockholm’s V**gra Boys have a hint of The Hives in their sound (it must be something in the Scandinavian water) and could very well take over where The Hives were back in their prime. But the use of saxophone reminds us of 60s/70s garage bands such as The Sonics, Radio Birdman and, of course, The Stooges.

Street Worms opens with the sleazy and delinquent feel of ‘Down in the Basement’. Second track ‘Slow Learner’ has a lot of sax and an instrumental section like The Fall. ‘Sports’ is amusing as different sports are listed alongside naked boys and girls, shorts and dope. ‘Best in Show’ is like a Beat rant that is poetic and poignant about a show dog against a backdrop of strange radio interference noises.

There are some longer tracks on the album too. ‘Just Like You’ is a laid back synth jam, with the vocalist saying he’s glad he didn’t go to school to become ‘a psycho just like you’. ‘Shrimp Shack’ is punchy with its Hives-esque riff, then morphing into an extended jam for the second half of the song. Album closer ‘Amphetanarchy’ builds and builds into an explosion of noise of synths, saxophone and guitars. No vocals needed.

V**gra Boys are punky, but experimental and never boring, and their debut showcases this perfectly. If you need a breather from IDLES and Shame for a little while, turn your attention to V**gra Boys and Street Worms.

Words by Matthew Brocklehurst