It's been a while since I last listened to Bellowhead, but I instantly want to binge 'Hedonism' for the next five hours after listening to The Buddhist Punks. Combining the sweet delicacy of Scottish traditional folk music with 3rd wave ska and standard reggae, The Buddhist Punk (I know.. The name really does stand out) create a sense of comedy. Where the average person would namedrop Josef K, The Jesus & Mary Chain or even Idlewild.. I can now mention The Buddhist Punks in my 'Scottish music rant'.
The opening track is called 'Predator' and it sounds incredibly well produced for a first 'official' recording. The guitars have been layered perfectly and they master the left/right barre chords. The twingy guitar solo is memorable and reminds me of something bluesy but at the same time stylistic. The vocals seem very refined and a little too 'adult contemporary' for my tastes. The vocal layers are a welcomed effect as the track draws to a conclusion.
Track two is entitled 'Not The Papaya!' and I'm hearing something which I shouldn't. I just want to shout "WHAT WOULD BRIAN BOITANO DO?". You know, from South Park. Yeah, anyway.. So the reggae side is perfection, mixing ska punk with that Scottish folk charm. it's a brilliant sound and the vocals are very comedic and work around the catchy instrumental. Guitars soar deep into the unknown as the track slows down with the stand out percussion. Again, production value is very high with yet another guitar solo which needs to be in a 70's rock n roll track.
'Sum Myrrh Song' has a lovely underlining bass riff. The guitar has been effected adequately with the simplistic reverb which adds to the 'summertime' lyrical theme. The tracks very nice indeed and it's typical Scottish style. This is where we have our standout lyric, "lying on the beach I'm drinking my rum, lying at peace underneath that sun". A little saxophone solo enters as the reverb kicks in and the drumming sets the pace.
'Repel The Licensing Laws' reminds me again of South Park. This time it's a little different and follows the same idea and folk-punk aesthetic. The first five seconds reminds me of something Pixies would create, then the lovely riff adds to the punk feel and the track slows down with the typical reggae sound and the jig continues til the EP suddenly closes.
Right, so I need to watch some more South Park after listening to this EP. I definitely enjoy this sound, I'm more interested in the band name and why the bunch of lads decided to divulge into reggae/ska rather than the traditional Scottish alternative rock scene. None the less, It's a starting point. As far as amateur bands go releasing their first EP, it's fresh. The production is fantastic and I can hear something special in the mist. Everything from the genre to the Glaswegian location to the band name just gives me the goosebumps.
~Eddie
