Review by Huw Williams

Garage punk trio PINT + BLISTER’s new single follows hot on the heels of their debut Angry Machine and is another blistering addition of old school sucker-punch punk. The title alone, Upwardly Mobile (Ultimately Vile), shoves a middle finger in the face of vapid materialism and current politics.

The initial riff is bouncy and catchy, grabbing you by the throat and hurling you straight into the mosh pit. Davies (vox and guitar) parodies the super-wealthy with lyrics dripping with sarcasm and vocals that repeatedly leap to falsetto in an almost squeaky way, adding a comedic element to the song. This bounciness continues throughout the song, with sharp timing that makes the whole track feel light as well as heavy. The vocals trailing off in the chorus lends a harder, more aggressive element that contrasts nicely with the sarcastic lightness of the verses. The shift from the parody is sharpest in the line “listen here you little prick/the sight of you it makes me sick”, showing the anger at those with undeserved wealth.

The drums come into their own here; breaking from the stompy single beat and rampaging into the chorus. Goodyear (drums) is integral to the texture of the track, contrasting the lightness of the track with heavy use of crashes and rides in the chorus that dances with wailing riffs. Brocklehurst (vox & guitar) in the second verse almost adopts elevated speech and continues the parody from the first verse, this time as the upper class.

It ends on the initial riff just before the 3-minute mark, as sharp and snappy as it begins. It’s satisfying to listen to a track that sounds messy and rough but under the surface is actually held together with a white-knuckle grip. It relies upon the drums to create that texture and contrast between the humour and anger, and Goodyear does so with aplomb.

All of this forms a snappy, cheeky track that smashes you in the face and leaves you with a bloody nose and a grin on your face. Get your chops around this one; it’s a belter.

Listen to the single on Spotify here

Pint + Blister are:

Nathan Davies – Vocals/Guitar
Matthew Brocklehurst – Guitar/Vocals
Joshua Goodyear – Drums/Vocals

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