Album Review: Violent Mood Swing, In Regards To Your Previous Email

Irish hopefuls Violent Mood Swing ooze gritty punk-rock on their debut album. A relatively new band, they have managed to put a unique stamp on their sound, while capturing the crunchy, almost spoken-word style of classic punk.

Opener ‘Tear From A Glass Eye’ sets the tone for this quirky offering, with its unexpected country influence. ‘Electric Soup’ and ‘Sex Machine’ are more typically punk, but again, in a kooky fashion – the latter mixing archive news pieces with expertly crafted lyrics.

The group sneak in culturally-aware lyrics. “Everybody’s hands are dirty from the oil in Kazakhstan,” they sing on ‘Cool Your Jets’, “First it was business, but now it’s strictly personal.” There’s also some on-point anti-religious messaging here and in ‘Danger Line’.

The lighter ‘Happy Hormones’ – the longest track – mixes a change of pace with the group’s excellent musicianship. Closing track ‘Amygdala Man’ returns to classic punk territory. In Regards To Your Previous Email is a very promising beginning.

7/10