Dan Hillier
Whether it be a subconscious phenomenon or not, it’s remarkably common to get a sense of an artist’s environment and surroundings through a record. This is very much the case with the debut LP from the West Midlands renegades Lovebreakers. Much like it’s moniker indicates, Primary Colours is a vibrant, whole-hearted gleam of punk-rock that glistens with an entire summer’s worth of warmth and joy.
Recorded in none other than the city of angels, Lovebreakers have captured the sun, sea and sand of American beach living with this record. Opening with the airy, ocean breeze buoyancy of ‘Eye Roller’, Primary Colours wastes no time in radiating the carefree sun-kissed splendour it was recorded in. Sounding akin to a more content and composed Green Day whilst retaining an ever so slight punk edge comparable to the likes of The Ramones and even Descendents, the track is a carefree establishment of the aesthetics of the record. ‘Set In Gold’ also continues the trend of showing off the band’s clear inspirations, albeit with a more upbeat, energetic pace.
It’s the third track of ‘Family Man’ where the band’s own homegrown sound takes precedence. Complete with perfectly incorporated horns where one can visualise the sun glistening upon the brass, this track see’s the band merge their more gritty UK punk into the more American rock sound demonstrated in the prior two tracks. However, it’s ‘Laura’ where Primary Colours becomes simply irresistible in it’s ceaselessly bright tone and aesthetic. A song for the endless summer days we all cherish and long for, ‘Laura’ is an irresistible ear worm of a midsummer anthem, one perfectly engineered for carefree days of sun fuelled adventure. Simply, it’s an excellent exercise in composed and relaxed upbeat punk, one perfectly balanced with the more 60’s swagger of the conjoined ‘I Will Love Live’. These three tracks, from ‘Family Man to ‘I Will Love Live’ are the moment where Primary Colours becomes lovable in tone and spiritually lifting in mood.
Despite this record being a musical encapsulation of warmth and positivity, there’s a profound level of contrast under the sun-blessed surface. Masked by the summer vibes are themes of struggle and tones of grit. It may not be obvious, but lyrically, Primary Colours is body of songs that document toiling through a working class existence, cherishing the small wins and finding purpose through loved ones who have also had to graft through life. This record isn’t just a slab of warmth with zero lyrical substance, instead it’s a juxtaposing exercise in articulating stories of struggle with a blindingly contrastive tone. ‘Horizons’, whilst sounding like the perfect punk track for joyriding an evening’s warmth away with pals, documents fleeting nature of youth and ‘Carry One’ offers profound meaning past it’s easy-going bounce. Whilst it takes some time to realise such a contrast, these stories of mundane living have been told from the start; the aforementioned opener ‘Eye Roller’, whilst sounding like an American punk extravaganza, is actually about those awful nights out that end with one smashing a questionable kebab in the cold English drizzle.
Whilst some may state that this debut sounds very Green Day in tone – which is understandable given that Davey Worsop produced and engineered the record – to say that Primary Colours feels more in tune with The Menzingers would feel more accurate. As proven with the massively joyous bridge in ‘Worst Gentlemen’ and the tightly wound closing title track, this album brilliantly showcases the dynamism that’s often missing in modern punk rock. In all, this is a wonderful record that contains enough anthems and hooks to keep you going all summer long whilst containing layers of substance beneath it’s sun-blessed demeanour. Regardless of your stance on the genre, Primary Colours is as vibrant as it’s name implies and is a must listen.