The video accompanying this song probably tells you all you need to know about the five guys from West Auckland, as interspersed with playing in the studio is them going to a fancy-dress party, and there is a real sense of humour throughout. Red is a vibrant frontman, even though he does leave the party on his own (or does he?), while the guys are incredibly tight in a wonderful Blink 182/Sum 41 style which is infectious. This means their live shows are a blast, as anyone who has seen them play will happily testify, with drums and bass setting the groove, the guitars locking in tight (and any band with a flying-V is automatically hot, right?), and then a nutter at the front driving everyone on.
Somehow, they manage to capture that energy within this single, although I am sure that when it is played live it is somewhat more raucous. One thing about {Finger Tight} is that they want you to think about serious issues, just wrapped up in happy noisy material – just check out the spoken word sentences which start this off. The song is catchy, packed full of hooks, and is incredibly tight with a sharp compressed sound yet there is also plenty of room in the arrangement for things to be moved around so it always feel positive and energised. This is American punk pop with heart and a knowledge that these guys aren’t playing at it, they really mean it. I am certainly looking forward to the debut album, due later this year!
Rating: 8/10
