If anyone is curious to know what kind of music Household Name records are involved with, the answer is mainly punk. So if anything punk is not your thing, then this album is not for you. Formed in 1996, Household Name Records aim to promote unknown UK bands on a friendly comrade level whereby money and corporate dealings are not an object, but unleashing the sound of the underdog is.
Consisting of 17 tracks from 17 bands, this compilation is 49 minutes and 51 seconds of all the variations of punk – ranging from ska to hardcore influenced. Bands such as Five Knuckle, Leftover Crack and G.A.S. Drummers prove to be diamonds in a box of plastic bracelets where this album is concerned.
That’s not implying that the other bands are not as good, but they merely sound exactly the same. Whilst the idea of promoting bands to listeners of a particular genre of music is more realistic in gaining loyal fans, it limits the directions in which such a compilation can go. Claiming to not be able to be pigeonholed, the excessive amount of similar sounding music on this CD has created an Avril Lavigne/Marmite effect whereby you either love it or you hate it.
Something notable on this album is the effect that ska as a genre has had on each of the bands. Even Ye Wiles impression of The Streets is topped off with an instrumental piece that may have been lifted from a Specials song.
Household Name Records are generally doing a great job in ensuring that bands that truly deserve to be known are. However, someone who likes to buy an album where each track does not sound exactly the same will be disappointed. Punk fans can rub themselves in glee whilst jumping in the air and tapping their Converses together. Everyone else can have an easy listen as at least 14 out of 17 of the tracks merge into one long song.
