1981 – Posh Boy
Punk/ Hardcore
The debut EP from L.A hardcore punk-rockers (later to become Goth-rockers) T.S.O.L is a pounding, thrashing masterpiece of political-punk on par with anything released by The Dead Kennedys or Black Flag. The band (whose name stands for ‘True Sounds Of Liberty’) delivered with this EP what I think amounts to a near eight minutes of pure anarchistic genius.
Superficial Love is a wonderfully raw with its kicking beat and snarky lyrics, and this sound continues throughout the rest of the release. The musicians’ timing is approximate, the vocalist’s ability to find key is questionable, but somehow the music all seems to work and the listener just can’t deny the group’s sincerity.
Shouted slogans like “property is theft”, “abolish government”, and “President Reagan can shove it” are just brilliantly delivered so that one really believes in the band’s half thought out anarchic political stance. There is just so much charismatic rage and indignity on this record that it becomes very endearing and really quite rousing.
I suppose one issue I do have with this EP (apart from it just being too darned short) is that it is sometimes difficult to tell the tracks apart unless one puts in the effort it takes to decipher the often unclear lyrics, but this really is a very small issue and one which just comes naturally with the territory of listening to hardcore.
Really there’s not much else to say about T.S.O.L considering how short the EP actually is, but I would say that if you are a punk fan it really is worth finding yourself a copy.
RATING: ****/5
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