“Confessions of a Justified Cynic” is Glaswegian pop-punk three piece The Kimberly Steaks’ first full-length album since 2014s “To Live and Die In West Central Scotland” a record that still makes it way into my regular listening five years on, choice cut from that album for me is Domestic Life, if you’ve got a spare fifty-eight seconds bang it on.
The Kimberly Steaks music is like an aural manifestation of Andy Warhol’s pop art, screen-printing with primary colours to create something that although minimalistic, is bold, accessible, and instantly appealing.
The accessibility of their music coupled with energetic live shows has seen the band develop a well deserved following in the Scottish punk scene. The Kimberly Steaks fan’s – myself included – will regularly describe them as sounding like early Green Day sung with a Scottish accent.
Musically this Green Day comparison is pretty fair all the pop punk troupes are here fast moving chord riffs, infectious melodies, tight punchy drum and bass parts that you can’t help bang your head along with, Out of Life and Suffocated are the prime examples from this album.
Where The Kimberly Steaks standout is in the lyrical content, dealing with introspective themes such as depression and anxiety and relaying them in a relatable and grounded fashion, the tone of the subject matter acts as a counter point to upbeat and fun musical style.
Even the title of the album “Confessions of a Justified Cynic” alludes to the self-expressive and cathartic tone of the lyrics. It reminds me of a quote by George Carlin "Inside every cynical person is a disappointed idealist". The comedians quote becomes more appropriate when you discover the wordplay and humour peppered throughout their songs, a line of lyrics from their previous album has always stick in my mind as a favourite “I’m so miserable that even Paul Rodgers would agree, that I’m bad fuckin’ company”.
“Confessions of a Justified Cynic” solidifies Kimberly Steaks singer Greig Hawke as a bard for the Scottish disaffected.
TL;DR
Artist/band: The Kimberly Steaks
Record: Confessions of a Justified Cynic
Genre: Pop-Punk
Choice Track: Suffocated
Listen if you like: Green Day, Jawbreaker, Pop-punk, punk rock, A gid time.
Would your mum like it: Go up tae yer maw and sing the line “Do you have the time” if she responds “to listen to me whine”, then she’ll like The Kimberly Steaks.
Links
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4UwGpvWgUQwVTX5iZtXCue?si=jjQG35XzTJSF5Vy6SWspag
Bandcamp: https://thekimberlysteaks.bandcamp.com/
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