I’m the last person on earth who would willingly write a review of so called “lad band”. I would prefer to sit through a two-day Tory Convention in Birmingham or eat Marmite out of the jar with a tea spoon. However, it would be a great injustice to taint The Skinner Brothers with such a dreadful label. While many reviewers are happy to push the group into this category, I personally like to put them on a list of the best new bands in the UK – here I fixed it for you all.
The Skinner Brothers by Connor Hill
There is a huge difference between a good indie, all male band and a “lad band” band, at least for me. A band that is boring, unoriginal, carbon copy of hundreds of other bands, all while, dressed in Adidas tracksuits, calling everyone a “mate” is definitely a lad band in my book. The Skinner Brothers may be indie, all male outfit but they are also genre bending, exciting and what I really like about them, smart. Who else can write poetic, straight form the heart lyrics and wrap it up so nicely into psychedelic mix of reggae, alternative rock, Brit Pop, garage and pop? Which other emerging act on our independent scene is able to bring people from all walks of life together, have them sing along in unison at every gig they put out? The answer is not many. And if you try to convince me that Artic Monkeys clones can do all that, then you need a trip to Specsavers for new glasses and an ear wax removal.
So, let’s get it straight – The Skinner Brothers are a great rock and roll band and not a “lad band” by any mean. And unless used as an unforgivable offense, such phrase should never be applied to them. Now considering this matter resolved for all eternity, we can move on with this review.
Released on the 30th of December “Skippin’ On The Cream” EP contains three songs, all of them previously unpublished B-sides – “Dynamite”, the title track and “On The Weekend”. The B-sides are usually the rejects from the main recording sessions for an album and are added to singles as fillers. Well, you will not find any fillers on this EP – all three track are fantastic and the opening “Dynamite” is my personal favourite. I’m actually surprised that it didn’t make it to “Soul Boy II” released back in March 2022. The song has all markings of a “banger” – great melodic line, easily memorable lyrics and a killer chorus that is now stuck in my head as I type. Again, many bands will mark their releases as banger – but in most cases it is just an empty word. “Dynamite” hits you right in the chest with its funky/dance rhythm and great guitars – you can’t help yourself but nod your head and tap your feet along with the music. I’m not the only one who fell in love with this track. I played it to several of my friends and it got great reactions from them: from “this is their best song yet”, comparisons to Arcade Fire, The Enemy and Happy Mondays or declarations that it definitely will be a crowd’s favourite. I sadly haven’t had a chance to attend any of The Skinner Brothers’ gigs yet, but it’s not that difficult to imagine the crowd going wild to “Dynamite”. Hopefully I will have the chance to find out for myself sometime soon.
EP cover
Second track on the EP, “Skippin’ On The Cream” is the opposite of “Dynamite”. It is a mid-tempo composition, very Beatles-que, with influences from Oasis and Travis to Stone Roses and Stereophonics. Kind of nostalgic, paying homage to the late 90’s with Zak’s raspy vocals, atmospheric, faded/distorted John Squire inspired riffs and heavy drums. Lyrically it’s a love song and thankfully, a very good one. I mentioned earlier that Zak is a gifted songwriter and knows how to convey his feelings without sounding immature or cringy. “Skippin’ On The Cream” is a good example of his writing skills; many older, more established acts could learn a thing or two from listening to him. We shall not be naming any names but Louis Tomlinson should really be paying attention here. Valentine’s day is not far off so if anybody is looking for a great love song, look no further.
Closing the EP is “On The Weekend”, another gem that should have made its way to the album. I always admired Skinner Brother’s talent to compose songs that are quite complex and elaborate but so easily enjoyable for everyone. I don’t know what their secret is but tracks with several tempo changes, layered choruses normally require concentration and a lot of brain power from me when I review. With Skinner Brothers, it’s the easiest thing in the world. It’s almost like they include a map – here is this brilliant bit on the left and on the right, we have the perfect riff and supreme vocals are just around the bend. You can read the newspaper and still notice how brilliant the song is. Maybe this is why they are going through the roof recently – you don’t need to have master’s degree in music to enjoy their craft.
With nearly 60 thousands followers across social media, 40k monthly listeners on Spotify and more than 2 million plays, the band is on their way to play big stadiums in the next few years. Couple of days ago, Zak Skinner teased that new music is going to be released pretty soon, so please pay attention. Right now, tickets to their gigs sell for a tenner, when they go to the top, you will be standing in line to get in.
I always say that we need to support local acts and small venues because this is where the real magic happens. Everyone, 2023 is going to be another great year for The Skinner Brothers so do yourself a favour and grab their albums and go see them play.
You can thank me later.
Follow the band on social media:
https://www.theskinnerbrothers.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theskinnerbrothers
https://www.instagram.com/theskinnerbrothers/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4PY51S3HuOMhnZA0Sx8FRN
https://twitter.com/TheSkinnerBros
https://soundcloud.com/eastendlovers
https://www.tiktok.com/@theskinnerbrothers
https://www.youtube.com/@theskinnerbrothers4046
“Skippin’ On The Cream” is independently out now.
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 