A great return from the London-based quartet!
We originally saw Explode The TV live about a year and a half ago, and were dazzled not only by their highly dance-worthy brand of post-punk, but also by singer Bentley Browning’s silver jacket (oh, and the fact that he gave 100% as a frontman). They released a great album, ‘Unbreakable’, shortly afterwards, and that title proved prophetic – they’re back now, after a somewhat challenging year, and they sound better than ever.
This EP is only ten minutes long, so that’s perfect for my gnat-like attention span. Opener ‘Catching The Rain’ rides in on a fabulously groovy bass line and those shimmering post-punk guitars that Explode The TV have long made their stock in trade. There are echoes of The Cure and also echoes of the Bunnymen*. Second track ‘1+1=3’ features a wide-screen chorus that is already firmly lodged in my subconscious, and the closing ‘Stratosphere’ starts off darkly reminiscent of Joy Division before exploding into life; easily among the best things the band have written.
Overall, as comeback statements go, this EP is up there with the best of them, and you can be sure that these songs will sound even better live. Catch them at them at their pre-Christmas gig at London’s The Spice Of Life on December 20th – tickets available HERE.
*see what we did there?
- Catching The Rain
- 1+1=3
- Stratosphere
Follow Explode The TV on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Resolution Festival: Steve Ignorant Band / Sleaford Mods 11th Jan at London’s 100 Club
It’s the annual Resolution Festival at the iconic 100 Club on London’s Oxford Street. A special Sunday matinee show billed as ‘A Day for Raye’
Resolution Festival: Menace / The Outcasts 4th & Conflict / Rubella Ballet / Bones of the City 7th Jan at London’s 100 Club
Your Punktuation Editor resolved to see several top bands at the annual Resolution Festival at the 100 Club in London. Joint headliners Menace and The
Album Review : Self Torque’s debut album is about to land, and is all set for some heavy rotation
Self Torque have influences that spread fairly far and wide, including the likes of Weezer, Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers, Hot Snakes, Young Livers and The
Album review: Buzzcocks make an ‘Attitude Adjustment’
Steve Diggle’s decision to keep Buzzcocks going, taken after the all-star Pete Shelley tribute show at the Royal Albert Hall in 2019, is a pressure.
Album review: Charlie Harper releases ‘An Anarchy Of Demons’ soundtrack
As many of you know, Charlie Harper of the UK Subs has written his autobiography ‘An Anarchy Of Demons’, which was released on 5th September
KNIVES release new EP: ‘REGLITTER 1’
We sincerely hope that KNIVES are on your listening radar! From Bristol, UK, the band released their debut album ‘Glitter’ in May 2025. They have
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.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
