Brick Mower

Under the SInk (2011)

Rich Cocksedge

Do you like music that is catchy, sloppy, snotty, poppy punk with a huge DIY feel to it? Well, if the answer is yes, then you really should check out the trio that is Brick Mower and this first full-length release of theirs which follows on two singles and one EP.

Opening with "Tuxedo Bitch", which at just over a minute races to a conclusion featuring some off-key chords and vocals that have just smack of a "let's get this thing down" approach, I am hit by how immediately enjoyable their sound is and how it just works its way into my head with ease.

That's not to say that this track and others are amateurish–it's just the sound of this band could not be further away from overproduced, overblown records by some of the more popular bands within the wider punk world. I'd say Brick Mower would fit perfectly on a bill featuring bands like F.Y.P., Sicko and even the Underground Railroad to Candyland if you wanted to create a gig from similar(ish) bands. However, throw them onto any bill and I think they'd hold their own given the simple, catchy songs they deliver that contain an infectious quality that is hard to resist.

Across the 11 tracks Brick Mower don't really deviate from what is a winning formula, although "Radiator" does take its foot off the pedal a bit. But tracks such as "Voula's Lament", "Lungs Can't Handle" and "Cowboy in a Nutshell" stand out as my favourites on the album. This band is well worth checking out if you want some decent music to listen to.