The debut album “Speak Up” for Geraldton punk quintet Alex The Kid delivers 13 tracks full of fun, fast and energetic Aussie melodic punk rock. Mixed and mastered by Dan Florez at Getaway Recording in Boston, MA “Speak Up” is a punk record fans of The Lawrence Arms, Dillinger Four, Lifetime, Smoke or Fire will devour. facebook.com/alexthekid
Pressing:
500 x Digipak CDs
250 x Opaque “Purple Rain” Vinyl w/ Blue Splatter
REVIEWS:
Moshtix Reviews
ALEX THE KID – Speak Up
If the words “Alex The Kid” only make you think about an old Sega game then you have some homework to do. This is also the name of a tight, punk rock band from Geraldton in WA. The group recently won the triple j One Night Stand Unearthed competition and they’ve also just released a smouldering, debut album called Speak Up. The record includes 13 fast and furious tracks. It basically sees the boys crank it up to eleven in just seconds and play with this kind of crazed intensity until the final moments of the album. The only exceptions to this rule are at the start of Let’s Blow This Joint and It Ain’t Over where some talking parts get in-between the rawk goodness. In the case of the former, it’s all about finding fuel for the munchies because later on they’ll be putting out a call to arms and screaming, “Let’s get high! Let’s get high tonight!” – a phrase poised to be as popular with enthusiastic punters as the Ramones’ “Hey hos” in Blitzkrieg Bop. The record features triple j favourites Vinyls and Skate or Lie. The latter is one of many songs that see the “good-looking” Ken McCartney trading vocals with the screaming, “foul-mouthed” (according to the artists’ website) banshee, Dale Barker. It’s something that is reminiscent of Joy Division’s Interzone but with a heck of a lot more bile and bite. Alex The Kid are also one darned melodic band to listen to. Despite some dirty riffs, howling bass and the mayhem that ensues thanks to a cacophony of drums, they will occasionally keep you on your toes and add a catchy melodic line or two. A song like Tenderloins, for example, is a short, sharp thrill but they also manage to throw in some cheeky harmonica into the mix. Speak Up is a promising debut from a group of young men who know how to rock and party. They clearly have a love/hate relationship with their small hometown because some of the songs seem to rally against it, while others seem to embrace it and just want to get the party started. These 13 fist-pumping corkers will strike a chord with anyone who has ever wanted to jump around and mess some shit up. This is definitely a band that we should keep an eye on as they grow up and hone their talent for crafting snarling punk rock. Yeah!
Review by: Natalie Salvo
AAA Backstage
ALEX THE KID – Speak Up
Perth punks Alex The Kid have released their debut album ‘Speak Up’ and it’s a must-listen for anyone keen to check out some good Aussie punk music. The 5-piece have been busy since winning triple j’s 2016 One Night Stand Unearthed comp, supporting Smith Street Band and The Bennies, and releasing their latest single Skate Or Lie. The album opens with Punchface Champions, a strong-sounding, upbeat song that introduces the aggressive, emotive vocals that remain prevalent throughout the album. The song makes reference to the album title, with the chant chorus proclaiming “gotta speak up, we’ve gotta speak up tonight“. Next track, Hashtag Yolo Swag not only has a great title, but also a great little catchy guitar riff. The band seem to be a fan of using one line, repeated as a chorus, but it works well for them. Third song, Catastrophe sounds a fair bit like Brisbane punks Columbus, while third track Vinyls has a bass tone and guitar riff very reminiscent of blink-182 during their ‘Take Off Your Pants And Jacket’ era. This is nice though, it feels more like the band is giving nods to their influences, rather than directly copying them. Lead single from the album Skate Or Lie is a solid track that showcases what the band is capable of, but is sadly followed by two weaker songs, It Ain’t Over and Nightman Cometh. Both of these songs are short, and don’t add a lot to the album. Phil Collins Birthday is one of the heavier tracks on this record, and while it demonstrates the drummer’s chops it’s not as catchy or strong as other tracks. Let’s Blow This Joint has the classic pop punk humour, opening with a spoken word segment of someone ordering a heap of food. The song then segues into a song about getting high, with the chorus “let’s get high, let’s get high tonight. Let’s get high, let’s get so high!”. From this point on, the album seems to get its second wind. Unbearable Kid, a single the band released last year, makes an appearance on the album followed by one of the strongest songs on the record, Tenderloins. The dynamics on this song are super cool, with a catchy little guitar line thrown in too. Next song, Chapman Road is a catchy, fast punk number, at just a minute long. Closing the thirteen track album is Not For You, another song that demonstrates the dynamics and energy the band is capable of. The song opens soft, slowly building into an eclectic track with overdriven bass, high-pitched guitar, energetic punk drumming, and emotive vocals. The album fades out with gang vocals, screaming “I’d be lost/I’d be lost/If not for you!”. The overall sound of the album is a little bit blink-182, a little bit Real Friends, plus some Columbus and Trophy Eyes thrown in for good measure. While not the most solid album ever, it’s a great debut album which shows the real potential this band can live up to. Definitely give ‘Speak Up’ listen if you feel like checking out what modern Aussie punks have to offer! Album Rating: 3.5
