A couple years ago I was listening to a New York Hip Hop station and they were talking about Nas’s new release at that time. I don’t remember which one it was. The DJ said, “Listen, if you hear this joint start up get off the street. Hail a cab, find a church, hop a bus. Get inside cause something bad is about to happen.” I always felt like that about Last Resort. Their first album, their classic, “Skinhead Anthems” was and is still a soundtrack for aggravation. It was slow, grimy dirge Oi. Music to get arrested to.
And 27 years later Millwall Roi (the singer) felt like making a follow up. A couple months back we at the FSS checked out another old-time Oi band’s, namely Cock Sparrer’s, new release, and it was lackluster. Lack. Luster. I was curious to see how Last Resort would fare.
Let’s start with the cover art just for the hell of it. On the front you got the black and white skin from the crucified logo, this time sportin’ British jail tats in front of the Union Jack. The back cover has The Last Resort running oldly from either the police or a yearly colon exam. Inside you have the lyrics and silly mugshot dossiers of the band. Roi’s mugshot is kind of effective though I have to say, his one white-filmed eye staring at you. So, if I was gonna rate the album just on skin cliché alone, they earned a 10 here easily.
Now the music. Surprisingly, it’s good. Last Resort have obviously been keeping up with the street punk because their sound has changed, their pace has quickened and, in a few places, it sounds like there are hints of hardcore breakdowns. But more important than that, it sounds believable. My main complaint with Sparrer’s new release was that it was boring and sounded like a put-on. It was a group of middle aged men trying to recapture what was over for them. On the other hand, I fully believe that the cats in Last Resort have been up to more or less the same business they were up to in the 80’s, only probably a lot more slowly now.
This release is a lot quicker, a lot less dark, a lot less anthemic than the first “Skinhead Anthems”. But it is an earnestly rowdy album, from some earnestly Jurassic Skins. What more do you want from Oi?
Popularity: 5% [?]
