Fixit Kid - The Easy Way Out

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 16 / 10 / 2005

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Review

Fight you? Better Not. Fixit Kid hail from Derby and that's some premonition. Book 'em and don't try to hook 'em. Fixit Kid have become a strapping bunch of lads who melt punk mania with brainia. Following on from their 2004 debut 'The Gracious Art of Breaking Limbs', this classic ten track album, 'The Easy Way Out', ranks amongst the most powerful efforts, if not the most powerful effort Under 21 Britain has produced this year. 'The Easy Way Out' is the first pre-Christmas CD that made me turn up the volume. The album screams with urgency, delivers damn neat songs and combines belterweight hooks with aggression. Fixit Kid's strong point is their sense of orchestration. It's not as if they have asked in an entire brass band with a conductor but the subtle placement of some unexpected edges, is the invaluable add-on here. Well-dosed portions of horns build on the breezeblock emo energy of Fixit Kid across several absolute standout tracks. Fixit Kid ought to be a household name if you have any emo, punk, hardcore, metal or rock music hiding in the cupboard. All throughout the album, the bonanza will blow you away. The riff-driven tracks, 'Exrobot', 'Open Wide' and the opening track 'Insects and Dogs', in particular put on display terrific in-sync battles between Jay Dean on guitar and singer Matt Davies on bass. Ah, this reminds me of first hearing Stiff Little Fingers, Hüsker Dü, Fugazi, the Beatnik Filmstars. I was reminded of 1970's glamrock popsters Sweet as well at some points. Utterly foolish these mentions, however this fair trade retail CD could do with an upmarket plug.

Track Listing:-

1 Insects and Dogs
2 We've Been Watching the Riots on a Monitor
3 Taking Liberties
4 Open Wide
5 Dead Hooker
6 Meat
7 Suit
8 None of you Motherfuckers are Getting Out of Here Alive
9 ExRobot
10 Baracas