The Dutch crew get seriously innovative on album number five!
Many bands play punk rock – only a small percentage of those bands live it. Dutch quintet John Coffey are firmly in the latter camp, having long combined their explosive brand of punk/hardcore/rock n’ roll with political and social activism. ‘Not Alone’ is the band’s fifth album, and centres around the theme of “the power of connection. About discovering that there are other people who feel what you feel.” A band on a serious mission, then, but one that’s also determined to have plenty of fun along the way.
Opening track ‘Hang The Choir’ is a slice (or should that be a cup?) of classic John Coffey. Dedicated to a cancer survivor and the judgment she faced, in the band’s words, it’s about “fighting against the current – no matter how much trash gets thrown at you”. A highly worthwhile message, and it’s backed up by serious musical muscle; huge riffs reminiscent of Every Time I Die or Cancer Bats, interspersed with a fists-in-the-air chorus that really shows off frontman David’s dual singing/screaming vocal capabilities.
The following title track is catchy as hell with all those “whoa-ohs”, showing off the more melodic side of the band. There’s a distinct (and welcome) air of grunge to much of this record; think along the lines of Nirvana at their catchiest, whilst some of those eerie vocal harmonies recall Alice In Chains (particularly on ‘Push Push Push’). ‘It’s You’ catches us off guard with its “ba-ba-ba” synth intro; clearly John Coffey haven’t set any musical constraints for themselves, and for that, we salute them. Witness what sounds like a sitar sample on the repudiation of extreme wealth that is ‘Do Not Teach’ or the plaintive acoustic guitar on ‘I Don’t Care, I Won’t Give Up On You’; this is a band determined to keep us guessing until the very last note.
Fear not, though, there are plenty more of those monolithic riffs that are sure to whip up a maelstrom live. A frantic, acapella intro on ‘Call Of The Bear’ gives way to some driving punk rock and seriously seismic guitar work, whilst the minute-and-a-half long ‘Time Is Up Now’ is utterly feral in its delivery. They sign off with the relentless positivity of ‘Hope In – Fear Out’ – complete with what sounds like a triple vocal attack – and the gloriously spidery riff of ‘All Bark, No Bite’ (yeah, right!) that swings in like a sonic wrecking ball.
Care for a record that mixes brawn, brains and great tunes in equal measures? You could do a lot worse than ‘Not Alone’. Nearly a quarter-century since their inception, John Coffey’s hunger and love for what they do still burns as brightly as ever, and this record is the proof. Gentlemen, you’ve done yourselves proud.
‘Not Alone’ is released on 9th October via Long Branch Records – pre-order it HERE.
Main Photo Credit: NICK HELDERMAN
- Hang The Choir
- Not Alone
- Push Push Push
- It’s You
- Do Not Teach
- Call Of The Bear
- I Don’t Care, I Won’t Give Up On You
- Time Is Up Now
- Hope In – Fear Out
- All Bark, No Bite
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I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
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