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The Work. Baxter Hall
A new name on the blog opens this singles post. Baxter Hall's song The Work is of a kind that I associate with the U.S. It is a kind of folk rock that comes from there and the way it blows up in the ears of the listener towards the end is of the kind the Mr. Bigs of this world used to do when I was a lot younger. The two different approaches do work on The Work. The tough kind of folk song allows Hall to tell a personal story about estranging from a parent. The frustration and anger is vented in the music. His voice contains it. The music does not and then the song explodes in your ears. In a very impressive way, and then it's kicked back into its cage for a soft and resigned ending. There will be an EP at the end of summer.
When I read punk band, I usually think of something entirely different from what I'm hearing here. Doom Scrolls is from Colorado and formed in 2020. The song starts with, if I'm hearing it correct, a banjo. It might be a mandoline. Anyway everything I'm not expecting. After a subdued intro, the band comes in and its closer to the punk side of bluegrass band The Hackensaw Boys then to Rancid. The tempo is up but with traditional instruments like a washboard. The bass sounds like an electric one though. I'm a The Hackensaw Boys fan for well over 20 years now, so I can definitely get to like Doom Scrolls. Album 'Exhausted Dialogue' is out on 6 October and will provide the chance to find out if there is more to like. And those lucky enough to live in the U.S.A., the band is on an extensive tour there at the moment.
Formed originally in 1979, The Room reunited after a 30 year plus hiatus and is ready to release its third album since doing so, 'Doom! Pop', on 4 September. Things Have Learnt To Walk That Ought To Crawl is the single and if I had been told that the single was released around 1980, I would have believed it immediately. And I would have liked it. Singer Dave Jackson may have that typical postpunk voice (yes, still has it in 2026) the song definitely is not about the sky falling on our heads imminently. There's even a "lalalalala" part in the song. At the time I had never heard of The Room, as far as I can recall. Today I have and my life has become just a little bit better because of it. And that title, so intriguing. Plus, is it longer the Kirsty MacCall's chip shop song? Let me know.
Another instrumental track from the reformed Deardarkhead. While the bass and drums provide the guitar layers with the basis to start their work from, the song develops in interesting ways. From parts that are just rhythm, the composition develops into a part where guitars hurtle over each other in a very playful way. It's hard to write on an instrumental track, I already wrote that on Deardarkhead's single 'Letting Go' before the summer break, and that hasn't changed. It is worth your while to listen to In Another Life, as it has a pleasant lead melody. A lot better than the Bill Wyman credited song with the same title on 'Their Majesty's Satanic Request'. The album 'The Pendulum Swings' is out since July.
And here is a punkrock single as punkrock is meant to be. See Doom Scroll above to understand where this opening line is coming from. Looking at the picture that accompanies the announcement of Do What You Want and album 'When Friendship’s Not Enough', I see four veterans of punkrock. They are on a role on Do What You Want. The song is textbook Green Day, for me that band is the textbook American punkrock band. Just listen to that bass. I has Mike Dirnt spelled all over it, and the singer has that Billie Joe Armstrong sneer in his voice. All is played super, super tight. The Canadians from Québec City in Canada are on a roll towards that new album.
Wout de Natris - van der Borght
