Released by Take it Back Records and Cobra Records (with the band self-releasing a limited run of CD's), "Abwärts" is the debut full-length outing from Swiss act Beggars and Gentry. For whatever reason, I'm typically not at all interested in hardcore/punk that heads in that raw, stripped down, rock 'n' roll influenced direction, but Beggars and Gentry totally nails it. I do think the recording could use a little added punch (the guitar tone utilizes only light distortion), but the energy of the riffs and the quality of the songwriting are right on the mark. And all that being said, the simplicity of the guitar tone does make sense in the context of the warm, natural mix—as well as leaving more room for the basslines to fall into place, so... there are some benefits. In some ways this stuff sort of reminds me of The Hellacopters or Jed Whitey, but with vocals that have more of a straightforward hardcore kind of aggression, which carries over to influence the vibe of the music. While most of the material falls into a pretty midpaced groove, they do mix up the tempos enough to keep things interesting, and there are some killer little bits and pieces of melody spicing things up, too. When the band really gels the results are quite powerful, and there are a handful of incredible songs on this thing, so I'll look forward to seeing how they develop this approach down the road...
Beggars and Gentry "Sour (Good Morning Wasteland)"
As is (thankfully) becoming the standard these days, every LP comes with a download code, so... you'll be all set!
Get It
Beggars and Gentry (CD)
Beggars and Gentry (black vinyl)
Cobra Records (green vinyl)
Cobra Records (purple vinyl)
Take it Back Records (colored vinyl)
