Get What You Need bridged the gap between The Undertones Mk. 1 and Mk. 2, trademark killer power-punk tunes packed neatly into a longplayer clocking in at under 35 minutes. But the apple did not fall far from the tree. The usual furrows were ploughed with requisite finesse and credibility retained.
Dig Yourself Deep is an entirely different orchard. It's the sound of a band that has nothing left to prove and the freedom to explore new territory, which they do with much aplomb, displaying impressive versatility.
Their debut for Cooking Vinyl runs the gamut from the breakneck pop-punk of ‘Him Not Me’ to the sparse dark atmospheres of ‘Fight My Corner’. Tender sentiments find a home on the dreamlike ‘Move Right In’, which with its chimes and lullabyesque melody, doffs a cap to Brian Wilson and co.
In contrast to the stripped-back raw and dirty sound of its predecessor the production is slick, guitar parts meatier and riffs chunkier.
This confection stretches familiar sonic boundaries, having won over the original fanbase it’s now time to cultivate a new following. Certainly the stark, arty covershot and edgy inlay design will blend seamlessly in the racks beside the latest offerings from the skinny-jean brigade.
Thirty years since ‘Teenage Kicks’ roused the interest of a certain BBC DJ the Derry brigade can still kick out the jams.