Artist: The Fight

Album: Nothing New Since Rock N Roll

Label: Repossession Records

Tracks: 14

Length: 41:32

Reviewed By: Justin Brinker

 

“Being whisked around the world, working with famous producers, and having music industry types beating down your door isn’t exactly how most people spend their youthful teenage years.” Thus reads the bio for the next trashy pop band to rear its ugly head, The Fight.   I seriously thought that this was some sort of a satirical take on pop-punk bands and that the punch line would come at the end of their debut full-length, “Nothing New Since Rock N Roll.”  Instead I realized that this female-fronted four piece is dead serious and that is more comedic to me than anything else. 

 

Their bio also states that, “discovery of the band is quite a rags to riches story.”  The vocalist, who spells her name K8 (yes I am serious), slipped their demo to New Found Glory’s Chad Gilbert and from there it has been a “whirlwind of chance success.”  Like, that is totally like wow.  In case anyone remembers or cares they did end up releasing an EP on Fat Mike’s label of NOFX, Fat Wreck Chords, and it was just awful.

 

Hailing from England the band has been compared to other bands from the UK such as The Clash, Gen X, and The Buzzcocks, (yes once again I am serious) and K8 and the band cite them as their influences.  This would explain why every word or syllable ends in an “uh.” For instance in the opening track “Can’t Be Bothered” K8 beckons, “What’s the point—uh, I’m a lazy sod-uh.”  Musically there is no need to go in to detail or a song by song dissection when every song bears the typical verse chorus verse chorus method with guitar parts that plagiarize bands like Simple Plan, The Starting Line, and New Found Glory while trying to imitate such venerable acts like Green Day, Screeching Weasel, and Rancid. Lyrically The Fight sing about everything from relationships “Sid and Nancy” to everyday life, “JB’s” where K8 sings, “Every single day I’m always bored sit down with my guitar and try to learn new chords.” It gets even better with lines like, “We mosh to metal, skank to ska, we pogo to punk cause that’s who we are.”

 

Unfortunately The Fight will appeal to many, and I will be the first to admit some of their material is extremely catchy.  I am all for pop music or pop punk if it is done well. “Nothing New Since Rock N Roll” comes off as gimmicky and manufactured but will more than likely end up finding its place among the other acts on MTV and the radio.