Much has been made of the alleged scrapping of material because it was “too good” but that’s not to say that Palma Violets were out to replicate their debut. ‘180’ was a statement, a collection of songs with a collection of differing intentions. Songs to rouse you into riot and songs that commit you to countryside dreams. ‘Danger In The Club’ is no such album. Lambeth’s likely lads have stayed true to the promise that they wanted to “keep things youthful” but the band have matured. The songs are collective. Written and sung like a gang, merrily arm in arm. There aren’t any clear Chilli songs and neither many Sam Fryer solo moments. The songs are regularly chanted or howled rather than sung, ditties intended for drunken nights around the piano at the local pub’s lock in. This is most evident in single ‘English Tongue’, a song which is held in high regard by the band, being graced with a radio version as well as an album alternative. The radio single brings the boys together with fight and spit, whereas the version you’ll find on the album is somewhat sober in comparison. Equally brilliant in their approach but Pete’s keys flourish in the album’s closer.
Within the album’s party moments such as ‘Girl, You Couldn’t Do Much Better (On The Beach)’ and ‘Gout! Gang! Go!’ you begin to notice that whilst Palma Violets were out to make a youthful album full of energy, there’s an attention to detail with production that wasn’t there within their first. ‘180’ was capturing a moment but this one creates moments for its listeners. The songs are raucous but the production isn’t, that’s what you get when you bring in high profilers such as John Leckie (producer of The Stone Roses debut). Except on the off centre Chilli acoustic, ‘The Jacket Song’ it’s Pete Mayhew’s keys that holds the album together. No matter which dusty route the band take their songs, it’s the corner man on the keyboard who pulls everything together with a final Palma Violets brand burned on.
Palma Violets have that clever ability to raise you to the top, the arcade machine claw with a cigarette that drags you up by your T Shirt with climbing tempos and then drops you back in teasing fashion. That’s not to say there’s any feeling of child-like disappointment, you’ve been dropped but you’ve still won the bunny. Combining measured changes of tempo with Libertines flashes, the Lambeth mob create an album begging for live shows. Title track ‘Danger In The Club’ has already had the country’s sweat boxes forming denim choirs and it’s without doubt that the rest of the record will be doing the same.
We spoke to Sam Fryer about ‘Danger in the Club’ in issue six, which you can read here.
‘Danger In The Club’ is out May 5th and you can pre order here.