Milky Wimpshake - Lovers Not Fighters

by Tommy Gunnarsson

published: 24 / 5 / 2002

Label: Fortuna POP!
Format: CD

Long awaited second album from the always humorous Newcastle trio Milky Wimpshake, which combines a "homeade punk pop sound" with "fantastic lyrics"

Review

Well, I must admit that I thought that I would never hear anything from Milky Wimpshake again. It’s been two years since we last heard anything from these Newcastle punksters, when they released the brilliant 'Dialling Tone' 7” in April 2000. And ever since it’s been annoying to think that it might have been the last thing to come from this amazing trio. But then suddenly, last autumn, I read on their website that a new album was on it’s way, and I began to look forward to it. The release date was first scheduled for January 2002, but that month came and went, and there was still no Milky Wimpshake album. I thought that maybe it was a false alarm. And then…boom! Here it is! The brand new Milky Wimpshake long player. As you might have guessed so far, my expectations on this album were ridiculously high, but as I put the CD into my CD-player, and the first track flows out of my speakers, I realized immediately that I wouldn't be be disappointed. 'Scrabble', as the opening song is called, is a classic Milky Wimpshake-song: homemade punk pop with a very thin soundscape and, best of all, Pete Dale’s absolutely fantastic lyrics. They is nursery rhymes, really, but always make sense in the end anyway. Just listen to these lines from 'Scrabble': “So we got out that Scrabble board / and all her signals I ignored / and when she got that triple-word-score / I was impressed but she looked bored / … / The wine was going to my head / but I was holding X, Y and Z / so I was truly disappointed / when she said “Honey, it’s time for bed” If you have listened to Milky Wimpshake before,and maybe their amazing debut album 'Busroute To Your Heart', you know what you’ll get with this album, or most of it anyway. The album, however, also includes three songs that aren't what you’d would expect from this band. Acoustic guitars? Fiddle? Banjo? Yes, they're all in there! I must admit that when I first heard 'White Liberal Guilt' I was a little confused. If album had been by Avocado Baby (Pete Dale’s second band, who have also released some great records), I wouldn’t have been so surprised. But now I was, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. After the first shock had subsided I realized that it’s a good tune, and decided that why can’t Milky Wimpshake try something new as well? Everybody else does it! The same thing goes for 'Jack Ass', a nice little song where Pete alone with his acoustic guitar sings about British politician Jack Straw. It’s funny, but I suppose it’s even funnier if you know who Jack Straw is (I am Swedish, so please forgive me in this matter). The closing track and title track, Lovers Not Fighters, also brings into play folk music influences, and it’s here the fiddle can be heard. Once again, it’s a good song, but in this case, I think that I might have preferred a punkier reading. Apart from those acoustic numbers, it’s all classic Wimpshake stuff, and they have even included the aforementioned single, 'Dialling Tone', a song that has even more of that rhyming extravaganza… “Your boyfriend seems so dull / he was probably born in Hull / Meanwhile I’m available / I’m ready, willing and I’m able / I even run my own record label / so come and sit at my table” For you who didn’t know, singer, guitarist and songwriter Pete Dale also runs the legendary punk/pop label Slampt Underground. That bit of fact probably made the last lyric sample even funnier. Well, I don’t think I have to say much more that this. I think I have made my point clear here. This is brilliant!

Track Listing:-

1 Scrabble
2 Philosophical Boxing Gloves
3 Dialling Tone
4 Do What I Have To
5 Second Gen MC Dropout
6 White Liberal Guilt
7 Newport
8 Didn't We
9 Lemonade
10 Jack Ass
11 Bourgwois Blues 99
12 Too Much, Too Drunk
13 Etymology
14 Lovers Not Fighters