Sweet Deals On Surgery – ‘Total Reek Hole’ [Review]
A friend recently asked me to write a review describing an awful band as a “shit sandwich” – and when Sweet Deals On Surgery offered up this EP in exchange for a brief review regardless of which words I might choose, I expected to wind up satisfying both parties. Unfortunately, the former will have to wait a while longer – because as scrappy and unkempt as Total Reek Hole is, it’s just as equally enjoyable.
This EP isn’t an easy listen by any means – but underneath the rickety production job and terrible track titles lies a set of songs that bring to mind the glorious DIY days of early punk. It goes without saying that Sweet Deals On Surgery aren’t aiming to be anything except what they already are – but let’s be honest, that’s a pretty rare quality in punk these days. Throughout Total Reek Hole, catchiness, character, and messed-up humour are prioritised over self-conscious image maintenance – and the results are far better than those generated by the hand-wringing masses sneering and preening in front of the mirror and obsessing over whether they’re “punk enough”.
Bands who can win me over with songs called Rohypnol’d At A Family Do and Elvis Costello Is A Wanker are fucking rare. Fair play to Sweet Deals On Surgery – I doubt I’ll ever write that two-word review about them.
Links / Listen
Sweet Deals on Surgery on Facebook and Twitter.
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