There is something so rudimentary about Cuddly Shark that you almost end up hating them for not even trying. However, The Punisher Of IV30 has something so completely unhinged about it that you can't help but love it.
Essentially sounding like the kind of thing most bands would knock out whilst tuning their instruments Cuddly Shark trade on simplistic riffs and sharp clipped vocals. Punisher sounds a little bit like Pavement in places, rumbling along with no real idea where it's going before hitting a truly psychotic break that finds the band indulging in some kind of sonic fit. Basically nothing much happens from the first chord to the last, but the enthusiasm and immediacy of the band make for an oddly enjoyable listen.
B-side Hails of Bay takes a stroll through Country tinged parody that flies close to Ween during their 12 Golden Country Greats period or Faith No More's RV.
Things are rounded off with the oddly titled Jamie Foxx on Later With Jools Holland, a quick blast which lets us know that Mr Foxx performed the worst song Cuddly Shark ever heard on Jools, which is pretty impressive seeing as Jools insists on playing with his guests. This is such a diverse collection of songs it is quite hard to discern quite what Cuddly Shark are all about. But seeing as each of these songs is a little gem in their own right; that hardly seems to matter.
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