EP Review: STONE - 'Punkadonk'
Coming from a fantastic run of live performances, Liverpool act STONE have brought their on-stage antics to the studio to bring the fans a new experience. Welcome to the latest genre to hit the masses: Punkadonk.
The four-piece are coming off a few rounds of support placements; joining the likes of Inhaler and Yungblud on tour over the last year, it was time for them to bring their northern-soulful tunes to streaming services. The fan-favourite ‘Moto’ finally sees the light of studio recording, and it’s holding the same power as it does in front of hundreds every night. It carries a great beat and finds itself placed right in the middle of the five-track EP, acting as a treat for the fans and the casual listeners. Maybe a throwback for the people who discovered this fascinating quartet at a gig at any point between 2021 and now. It could very well be the track that brings people in and keeps them in. Locking them within the forcefield that is STONE.
The EP does contain its share of singles, such as opening with the latest release ‘Money (Hope Ain’t Gone)’. Out of the entire listing, this is the ideal opener - both within the EP release and when hitting the stage. There is a punk-rock feel-good vibe coming which introduces the EP in such a wonderful way. It’s good enough to dance to; it’s tough enough to feel through; the tune is catchy and the guitar solo is just a cherry on top. It establishes where they’re heading and what they have already achieved: good melodies, clever lyrics, and chances to dance and mosh and scream and chant. The chanting is going to win them over in a live setting even more so, and it will be a beautiful sight.
The EP closes off with the divisive ‘Disrupter’. Focusing on the lyrics, “I’m not a hive mind, I’m a disrupter”, it uses a different range of alternative to bring out the strength and independence within those words. Taking a page out of the raver’s guide to punk, it works to close off the release in such an energetic and manic manner. A last hurrah, a final flash of fireworks as the night closes and the music comes to its natural end. At least it’s ending in a mad but memorable fashion, and it will make the listener want to spin it again. And again. And maybe again.
Punkadonk is a versatile release and has done well to highlight STONE’s musical methods within five tracks. Ups and downs, quick steps and slow paces, it is their own yearbook to look back on over the course of their career to see where they were just at that post-COVID turn in the music industry and compare it to where they end up.
2022 is the year of that STONE-cold Punkadonk sound.
Words by Jo Cosgrove
