Skunch – ‘Lazy’
A powerful anthem for the alienated and frustrated.
Clocking in at nearly six minutes, ‘Lazy’ is the latest single from Skunch. And it’s anything but lazy. From the off, there is a hint of Social Distortion’s later releases. ‘Don’t Drag Me Down’ comes to mind in the vocal delivery and melody. Skunch go for a big chorus here, which is reminiscent of The Gaslight Anthem, especially in the backing chorus. It’s Sink or Swim, but with heavier guitars and more swearing. This is only the first half of the song. Midway, Skunch change tempo and mood and ‘Lazy’ ends powerfully. This shows Skunch are not only great songwriters, but great at playing and bouncing off each other with their instruments.
Instrumentally, the drums crash a lot and the bass solidifies the base of the song. They emphasise what is being played by the lead guitars, which is the mark of any good rhythm section. The guitars themselves are intricate and melodic, in the same vein as James Dean Bradfield. The solos are fuzzy and just give the song an extra kick. The guitars and vocals, despite their melodies, are quite scrappy. But this works in the bands favour as it gives ‘Lazy’ an authentic pissed off feel about it.
Overall, ‘Lazy’ a more contemporary take on the emo/pop punk bands that were around 15 years ago. Don’t let that deter you if you were never a fan. Skunch don’t whine and cry about life. There’s a quality to the songwriting in the melody and structure which is comparable to The Replacements. And they were a fine band back in the day.
Words of Matthew Brocklehurst