This band is announced in the promotional sheet as nothing less than the most magnificent folk-punk act on the planet. I’m not sure if you can even elevate magnificent further, but that’s beside the point. The ladies and gentlemen of the promo agency have set the bar incredibly high. The folk-punk genre is already well populated with really good bands of almost all styles. But now NECK is coming from the green island to the mainland of Europe, and they want to show everyone what they’ve got.
The album “Come Out Fighting!” is already the third output from the band, which has been around for nine years and is celebrated in the UK, if we are to believe the press reviews.
I personally had never heard of NECK before, and was therefore quite curious.
The six-member band presents 14 songs on this album. Upon first listen, the band makes a pretty decent impression, although I personally find the typical instruments of folk-punk a bit too far back in the mix. In addition to guitar, bass, and drums, banjo, fiddle, and whistle (a type of flute from Ireland) are played. Musically, it clearly leans towards punk rock, with comparisons to Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys being quite valid. Since these bands do not play the hard, fast punk rock like The Real McKenzies or Pipes & Pints, the sound is also acceptable for ears that prefer rock or even pop. Lyrically, the band operates on familiar ground. The recording of the disc leaves nothing to be desired.
So everything could be quite good. However, as mentioned, NECK has certainly focused on the more mainstream direction of folk-punk, and upon second and third listens, the album doesn’t have many points that stand out. NECK are not inventors of a new wheel, but rather a band that comes directly from the country that is often cited in folk-punk. In that sense, NECK indeed know what they are singing about, or at least should know. Whether one can see that as a quality feature is left to each individual.
You can definitely give the band a try, but they are by no means the most magnificent folk-punk act on the planet.
