Smalltown

Once in awhile it's refreshing to actually hear a punk rock band that are willing to go back to their roots and celebrate the diversity and range of the genre without having to rely on aggressiveness or vulgarity to get their point across. Sweden's Smalltown not only pay respect to early mod-influenced punk but they immerse themselves in it by taking on a sound comparable to Stiff Little Fingers, the Jam and most notably, the Clash. Songs like "Back on Track," "Richie" and "Quicksand" are equivalent to something off of the aforementioned pioneers' Give 'Em Enough Rope, complete with hand claps, dub-style organs and Mick Jones-flavoured guitar riffs. Implosion is as nostalgic as it is invigorating, putting a new spin on an expunged subgenre with its raw folk and reggae undertones unified with gritty, throaty vocals. Much like "the only band that matters," Smalltown are a politically-aware blue collar punk band that write songs for the working class rebel and in today's economic rut, their music couldn't come at a better time.