The Pompey Punks mix it up on album #4
You can’t keep a good old Pompey (aka Portsmouth, UK) band down.. garage punk rockers The Glorias have just released their fourth album ‘Brute Force and Impudence‘, featuring six brand new studio tracks, plus a superb selection of five older favourites (from recent live recordings).
Weathering several storms since the release of their previous album ‘Songs For The Easily Pleased‘ (2023), The Glorias have bravely battled through health issues and various ups and downs of life to bring us this long-awaited album.
Fronted by the irrepressible Den Barry on lead vocals, the band boasts TWO great guitarists; Bill Gaynor and Mark Rogers, with the energetic and enthusiastic Andy ‘Nish’ Cornish on bass and Steve Kirk on drums. The quintet have been playing shows and recording original music for several years, gaining new fans wherever they play.
‘Brute Force and Impudence‘ crashes open with ‘Watching Heroes‘, a full-frontal, melodic, triple guitar assault upon the ears! It’s very much an ode to the band’s collective punk heroes of their youth, who clearly inspired them to take up their instruments and write songs. This one is gonna resonate with a lot of folk!
My favourite ‘Not Bored Anymore‘ sees more superb guitar and bass work from Bill, Mark and Nish, while Den’s voice is at its punky best. Steve’s drumming is equally brilliant – he must’ve been sweating buckets recording this!
‘Three’s A Crowd‘ is a positive song, encouraging us not to lose hope, despite the trials of life. “Time’s a healer, and three’s a crowd”. It doesn’t stand out as much musically as the other tracks, but it’s good for both the ears and the soul.
As the members of The Glorias are all ‘of a certain age’ (which they freely admit!) they are able to look back across the decades at the world and offer up some advice to younger generations. ‘Don’t Pour Life Down The Drain‘ is sympathetic to the plight of modern youth, seeking to imbue them with the rock’n’roll spirit of the original punks. I dare you not to sing along with its infectious chorus!
A guitar solo kick off the mighty ‘I’m Not a Thinking Man‘, before Den comes in with The Glorias‘ warning about ignoring what’s going on with the environment. “I wonder why my children are all scared of growing up” is the best and most chilling line in the song; ecological ignorance of the older generations is not a defence.. The guitar’s final howls underscore the points made.
‘He’ll Have To Go‘ is another roaring number – and yes, it IS a cover of the 1959 ballad by country crooner Jim Reeves! The song has had the full Glorias treatment and it sounds huge on this record! The band wanted to throw a curveball into the album; and they most certainly have with this one! I love the cheeky nod to the original with a some jazzy piano playing at the end.
The ‘live’ session tracks of old Glorias favourites “as you’ve never heard them before” make up the remainder of the album. The band include ‘Trail of Tears‘ from their debut album ‘Life’ll Get Ya‘, plus live favourites ‘Glorious‘ and ‘Can’t Stand The Reign‘ from album #2 ‘The Moral High Ground‘ and the excellent ‘Ten Songs a Day‘ from their third album, so it’s a sure-fire winning combination. There’s also a cool cover of the Steve Jones penned ‘Black Leather‘, a hard rockin’ trashy groove first released by The Runaways in 1978, and covered by the Sex Pistols, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Shonen Knife amongst others..
‘Brute Force and Impudence‘ is a wonderful combination of The Glorias‘ time-honoured songwriting tradition with some novel surprises, all delivered in their expert manner with a customary cheeky wink 😉
Get your copy on CD from the band at any of their shows, or online as a physical copy or on digital download from HERE
Main Photo Credit / All Live Photos: RUTH RAE
All Live Videos: RUTH RAE
- Watching Heroes
- Not Bored Anymore
- Three’s A Crowd
- Don’t Pour Life Down The Drain
- I’m Not a Thinking Man
- He’ll Have To Go
- Black Leather (Soundcheck Sessions Remix)
- Glorious (Soundcheck Sessions Remix)
- Ten Songs a Day (Soundcheck Sessions Remix)
- Trail of Tears (Soundcheck Sessions Remix)
- Can’t Stand The Reign (Soundcheck Sessions Remix)
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