A cracking first full album from this dynamic and proficient Punk band!
High Wycombe punks Public Service Announcement have been a highlight on the live scene for several years; after releasing two EPs, they’ve now taken the plunge with a full 10 track album, out on 15th March!
Produced and mixed by Steve ‘Smiley’ Barnard at Sunshine Corner Studios, ‘Nothing To Lose‘ is filled to the brim with the energetic Punk Rock ‘n’ Roll sounds we know and love from PSA.
Public Service Announcement are: John Fleming – Lead Vocals, Pete Colverd – Guitars & Vocals, Dan Comben – Bass & Vocals and Eddie Mulcahy – Drums.
On to the album! You can imagine smoke curling from hot metal in the opening track ‘Here Come The Guns‘ – explosive drumming and screaming guitars peppered with staccato lyrics – and it’s about the evils of killing in the name of religion.. topical.
The magnificently optimistic ‘Bright Lights‘ shouts for success through playing Rock ‘n’ Roll – every band’s dream! ‘Nothing I Want More‘ with its million miles per hour guitar encourages you to realise that you can be perfectly content with what you already have. The gang are all here, each instrument complementing the others.
‘I Believe‘ is a wonderful song of pride in a loved one, who always keeps fighting, no matter what; “I believe you’re stronger than you think“. A classic piece of ’77 Punk! The catchy chorus of ‘Time To Go‘ will have you singing along – another belter of a song! The message – don’t stick around where you’re not wanted..
‘Music Is The Law‘ – well – of course it should be! Another upbeat track encouraging music lovers everywhere to keep up the great work – both playing and listening. Look out for the sensational guitar solos in this one!
There are shades of Stiff Little Fingers in ‘Angels & Giants‘, a rallying cry to stand up for a fair society. The middle section swings into a lively ska beat, before returning to rock, reflecting our gloriously diverse musical heritage. I love this track!
The autobiographical ‘When We Were Young‘ tells of the carefree, innocent days of youth, running wild in the streets. This is as close as PSA get to an Oi! song, and they do it as well as every other genre they cover in this album. An acoustic guitar introduces the penultimate track ‘Fall Apart‘, but don’t let that put you off, the full band soon join in! A song whose lyrics are about holding your emotions in after a breakup, yet every emotion is expressed through the music from grief to anger to regret.
Current single and album closer ‘Billy Bones’ is one hell of a track – it’s the heaviest song and it rocks HARD – like its subject – “Billy Bones he’ll wreck your soul“. This one leaves you with that feeling you get at the end of a live gig where you’ve had a wild time and that final song they play just expresses the night perfectly!
PSA have everything to gain with ‘Nothing To Lose‘, and I’m sure that will include new fans of their work!
The album is available on CD – buy it direct from the band when you see them, or via their Facebook Page, or get your copy from the excellent independent Sounds of the Suburbs Record Store in Ruislip, West London, UK!
It will also be available on all major streaming platforms from 15th March 2024 – see links below:
Main Photo Credit: IAN MOSS
- Here Come The Guns
- Bright Lights
- Nothing I Want More
- I Believe
- Time To Go
- Music Is The Law
- Angels & Giants
- When We Were Young
- Fall Apart
- Billy Bones
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Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.