According to the press bumpf, The Poppy Fields is a new punk band from Chester and 45 RPM is the sound of them paying tribute to The Sex Pistols, The Clash and more modern types like Rancid. The thing is, any Alarm fan will tell you that the name The Poppy Fields also implies more than a passing nod to the original Welsh rock heroes. Methinks there's more to this than meets the eye...
Whatever or whoever, 45 RPM does exactly what it says on the tin. The bass and drums career along like a car crash waiting to happen while the guitars skid sharply over the top like buzz-saws. Or is that Buzzcocks? The chorus is in the best late '70s, shout-along tradition and there are even a few hand-claps for the New Wave afficionados. Anyone remember a band called Seventeen?
Since retro rock is this year's "black", 45 RPM neatly hitches a lift with the zeitgeist and then dashes ahead. Old farts can bask in the good ole days while young squirts can open themselves up to some real music. Still doesn't feel right listening to it on CD though!
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