Dead Uncles / The Credentials

Split Single [7-inch] (2011)

Rich Cocksedge

What you have here on this slab of vinyl are two bands, both intent on playing melodic, gruff punk–a sound that is extremely prevalent throughout the world of punk rock. Currently, it does seem that this genre is overrun with bands taking on the Jawbreaker/Hot Water Music sound and trying to make something out of it that stands above all other bands playing that same kind of music. Many more fail than actually manage to do something vaguely interesting, and my thoughts are that whereas we once went through a glut of bands aping the sound of Epitaph and Fat Wreck for a long period, we're now hopefully nearing the end of bands wanting to sound like HWM and the like. I've said this for a while and will continue to do so whilst bands continue to play it safe and look to this formula. That's not to say I don't like the sound, but like most things, once popular, the "market" becomes saturated with homogeneous products which can lead to it dying off.

Rant over with (but maybe not for the last time), here the Dead Uncles do actually kick things off well with a scratchy and edgy guitar intro that is quickly propelled into a melodic song that, whilst having its Jawbreaker moments, comes across more as being a mix of that mighty trio churned up in a blender along with two UK bands, Bangers and the Cut Ups (both of whom are worthy of checking out). "Constant Disappointment" is a good, catchy song highlighting that some bands are able to produce something that doesn't fall in entirely with current convention/trends, and that their output is able to stand on its own two feet.

The Credentials follow with an equally good intro, but their track never reaches the heights of the Dead Uncles. Something here just doesn't gel with me and it's not the first time I've heard the band and had that thought. The song sounds okay, but it just reminds me of many other bands around now and previously. It pains me to say that the song is average and nothing more because I enjoyed a recent interview with the band in MRR and really wanted to like this band. I know that I could be in the minority here, but for me, even though most of the standard musical ingredients are there, the end result is almost a reverse synergy.

If this was a contest with the two sides battling it out for supremacy then I'd have to give the Dead Uncles a unanimous decision over the Credentials. I now have one more band to track down and seek out more music by.

The Dead Uncles get 7/10 and the Credentials 5/10, hence an overall rating of 6/10 (or three stars as it will get shown).

Good packaging from 86'd Records by the way, so well worth buying the physical product over the download available on Bandcamp.