Written by: Luke Dunmore
Band:
Album Title:
Release Date:
Low Level Monk
There Is No Magic At The Gathering
OUT NOW
The Punk scene in Scotland is as strong and vibrant as it’s ever been and nowhere more so than in and around the city of Glasgow. A plethora of exciting new bands have come out of the city of late and Low Level Monk are the next to proudly flourish their claymores with this, their debut EP.
Although they only formed in 2022, they’re no fresh-faced weans straight out of college, they are all (aside from, drummer, Kerry, who of course remains ageless and radiant) in their thirties and forties and have previously played in various other local bands before coming together in Low Level Monk.
Following on from two singles in 2023, There Is No Magic In The Gathering shows tighter arrangements and a crisper, punchier sound. A large amount of this can be apportioned to Paul Campbell McInally at 45-A-Side studios, who produced the EP and patiently guided the band through the process, offering advice and criticism along the way.
Back To Glasgow is the opening track and a great representation of the band’s combination of 90s Skatepunk influences, their knack for writing indelible melodies and tendencies to tell stories with their songs. This song, for example, seems to be about returning to an old home to seek closure and draw a line under things, possibly a failed relationship. Neil’s vocals have an authentically emotive quality to them and his Glaswegian accent is prominent but not overpowering. Both of those factors make Back To Glasgow honestly feel like it really means something to him and it hits all the hard for it.
Home comes next and, with it’s great, nod-along energy, feels like it could have been the centrepiece (centerpiece?) of any number of Fat Wreck Chords releases back in the day. I could be wrong but it feels like Dave, their American guitarist, had a majority hand in the music as, of all five tracks, it comes across as the most, well, American. Thematically it seems kind of a similar theme to Back To Glasgow. The chorus is monstrous and one I’ve been mumbling incoherently to myself for weeks.
All of a sudden the tone of the EP changes dramatically because Nicki Buzz is an ode to Neil’s wife and is an unabashed cheesefest. Essentially it’s just a big long list of all the things he loves about her, good and bad. It should be awful but it’s utterly charming and the fact it’s a little tongue in cheek helps. There’s a ton of amusing little rhyming couplets throughout, though my favourite is probably: ‘Sometimes she says “Look, I just really hate to cook” but when she’s hungry she gets grumpy’. During the line ‘There’s nothing more ‘core than begging her for more’ a little laugh escapes and you know he knows exactly how corny this is and that he couldn’t care less.
The final track on the EP is the short, sharp Dinner Time and it kind of follows a similar theme and tone to Nicki Buzz, it’s essentially a guy ranting about the frustration of getting his partner to make a decision about what to eat at meal times, and it’s hilarious.
Finally, sandwiched in between those two songs is Tits Up and this song effectively connects the light and dark tones of the EP. It’s full of self-loathing, misery and defeatism and it’d be a difficult and uncomfortable listen if it wasn’t delivered with a sense of mild irreverence. Still, he should probably talk to someone.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the review about the fact there’s currently a cornucopia of fantastic Punk bands in Scotland right now but, judging by this EP, Low Level Monk can hold their heads high among the best of them. If you’re in the Glasgow area then get yourself along to one of their gigs and buy some stuff!
Low Levels Monk are:
Neil Fairbairn – Lead Vocals & Rhythm Guitar
David Cassell – Lead Guitar & Backing Vocals
Michael Bennett – Bass & Backing Vocals
Kerry Anne Callaghan – Drums & Backing Vocals
Track Listing
- Back To Glasgow
- Home
- Nicki Buzz
- Tits Up
- Dinner Time