04.

Crazy Arm

The Southern Wild

The post-hardcore/punk revolutionaries from Plymouth (with a crap band name) are back.  Crazy Arm’s third album is every bit as good as the first two, but it is also a very different beast.  The Southern Wild is pretty much entirely acoustic, and draws its inspiration from a wider range of influences than its predecessors, building on some of the more ‘out there’ moments from Union City Breath.  There are elements of gospel, Americana and Irish folk all notably present here, but it’s all still underpinned by the trademark Crazy Arm sound.  Meaning that, at its core, this is essentially a post-hardcore album performed on an acoustic guitar.  Which is weird.  Their sound remains huge, but their musical landscape has significantly grown since Born to Ruin (which is a great record, but for me the worst of the three), something which is particularly evident here despite of the decision to go un-electric.  Lyrically, Crazy Arm are still militantly left, with the likes of the EDL and BNP firmly in their sights.  More power to them. 

Sample track: ‘A Pocketful of Gold’