Anti Nasty League - Fan Reviews Thread

[Stubborn Puppet]

About five listens in and my feelings about it haven't changed. It's a damn good post-punk album with a lot of good, solid tracks... but not really what I wanted out of a PWEI record. I'd hoped for more of a return to the pre-DDMA sound. What we got is nothing like that - nothing like any other Poppies release before it. That's not a bad thing, I encourage progress... but it means that sometimes a band disconnects from some of it's fans.

I do quite enjoy the somewhat "spacey/heady" vibe it has, a real nice time for a night-time drive in the summer with the windows down. It will definitely see lots of play for me, especially when I'm feeling sparky or a bit pissed.

The lyrics... there's something sort of "off" about the timing in many cases. There are so many times when Mary and Graham seem like they're stumbling to squeeze in way too many syllables to each sentence. It's a bit "try-hard" at times in that respect and if they'd stopped and said, "You know what, that lyric doesn't fit, let's either rewrite it or dump it" it would have sounded much better. Also, one thing I've enjoyed from PWEI lyrics over the decades has been the primarily positive or fun attitude - while ANL seems to be primarily negativity and anti-government/anti-society rage. I'm not saying they haven't made these kinds of statements before, they certainly have - but they were mixed in with lots of positivity and done in a very "we can be better" fashion. ANL is more angry and depressive. Also, and I've possibly overlooked it somewhere, I don't even think they say "PWEI" in the lyrics anywhere (Yes, I get that is a juvenile moaning.)

I hate that it sounds like I'm mostly down on ANL, cuz I'm not. I really do like it, but I just don't hear PWEI in it. Eh, it's just personal disappointment and little bit of technical critique but, as with all things, I know others do and will love it a ton. I'll keep on listening and see where it goes.

[kwvp]

Love it.

21st Century is a great opener with lyrics that are spot on - like a modern day Auslander; a theme that returns to some extent in Middle East Street Party too, I think.

They Can't Take... is a nice thrash with a nice full chorus, theremin, then an almost Supergrass-like three-wheeled-policecar section in the middle. But then the combination of Mental Pollution and Digital Meltdown is awesome - that second half of Mental Pollution, then the riff in Digital Meltdown. Also love Mary's rap over over the lofi beats. And all those additional keys and production pieces coming in and out.

War Inside My Stupid Head is worth it for that deep low gurgle in the intro alone.

The slow pace and lyrical content of Set Sail For Death will be a grower I think. Reminiscent of Wake Up Time To Die or Harry Dean Stanton.

Middle East Street Party sounds to me like a brilliant summary of the consequences of paranoia and aggression. Jason's drumming is sublime.

The next couple of tracks lose me a little, though the Depeche-Mode-like start to Angry Man's Death Bed will be a winner with the other half, I'm sure.

King Kisser is another high point. Sure there's a blatant Underworld guitar loop in there too. Sample it... And the last minute and a bit is like a return to Part Man Part Machine which is probably my favorite PWEI track of all time.

WTBB sits nicely next and the new lyrics fit perfectlywith the upcoming election.

And the director's cut is an epic closer from its dubby echoes to the the thrashy chorus, smart lyrics to the perfect ending.

And then Smash It is a real treat with lyrics that seem like they need a deeper listen.


Brilliant album. Did I mention I love it?

[VMNP]

It really is great to see so much positivity towards the album and Crabbi's EP, it's well deserved.

Can i just say that if anyone finds themselves at a loose end for five minutes you could always get pimping this stuff on social media, a link here and a link there all helps to spread the word. Let's get behind it and tell this to everyone wherever they are!

[jason]

I really like it. Smash it is currently my favourite. I've been listening to it for a while so Smash it was a bit of a new/late entry track - that may be why.

I think it's a lot more serious, personal and (I think) honest. I did wonder if 21st Century English Civil war was a bit too -err!- vernacular. I thought it was EDL bleedin' ell. But maybe it's "bleed in hell" or both. I reckon I'll like the quieter ones too soon. I've not very good at reviews!

I'd say it was a hit.

[mikenasty]

Man, quit talking up 'Smash It' so much. It makes me feel bad for not shelling out the extra £20.

[poppiestar]

[Phil]

I get that some listeners may yearn for the olden days of PWEI when the sampletastic albums were full of knockabout grooves and the like. So do I, not least because it would mean I was in my teens again

[artificialhuman]

[Hunts]

I'm so broke and still haven't bought this yet.
All these reviews have got me pumped for it too, you mofos!
Except for you Finkie. Your quite long winded so I didn't even read half you your drivel; if your not going to be constructive keep it susinct!!
That is all.

[Mad Bastard]

I'm a man of few words so I'm just going to do a short review of sorts.

21st Century English Civil War starts the album off to a great start and the next handful of tracks are all crackers, I love the ravey sound of Mental Pollution particularly. I do feel that things drop off a bit in the middle section though, I'm not particularly fond of Set Sail For Death's out-of-tune chorus, but things kick back into top gear for me when we get to Sacrifice And Pain and I feel King Kisser's another high-point of the LP. The reggae-style intro to The Director sounds great also and makes for a great closer. As others have pointed out, there was talk of a comeback of sampling so while that didn't seem to happen for the most part for some reason the inclusion of news report clips in the bonus track Smash It gives me a little feeling of earlier PWEI tracks.

Overall a solid album and a definite step up from New Noise, and I feel that now the new line-up's more established that some of the other member's talents are coming through, in particularly there's some great lead guitar from Tim that wasn't present on the previous LP. I wouldn't quite put it on the same level as Cure For Sanity, This Is This or Dos Dedos but it's very much a worthy addition to the PWEI discography.