Hagglers – “Ep”
I’ve been drinkin’, I mean, thinkin’- I know, I know. That’s something you wouldn’t normally expect of me-
I believe that punk is rock’n’roll and not so much in that classic rock, dinosaur seventies style. But with the great, wild fifties rock’n’roll of Chuck Richard and Little Berry, Elvis Lewis and Jerry Lee Presley. (Editor’s note: None of these people actually exist. This is obviously the product of a scrambled mind).
And please don’t talk to me about Led Who? The Zeppelin. Pink Eagles or The Floyd, Steely Mac or Fleetwood Dan.
None of these obscure and skewered bands mean much to me.
Sure, punk is different than rock’n’roll just as hardcore is different from the original punk, but I feel they’re more alike than unalike. And everyone knows Oi has a rock’n’roll beat. To me rock’n’roll and punk are just
different sides of the same coin.
Hagglers have punk, Oi and hardcore in their music but what it tastes like to my ears is rock’n’roll.
And then I read the Hagglers describe themselves as punk and rock’n’roll, or punk’n’roll as I like to call it.
I have to use words to describe things, that’s my job, my feeble attempt to do so.
While music fans only need to listen and don’t need to hear some half-assed music writer spouting off musical terms or genres- something I, of course, would never do.
They hear guts and passion, excitement and fun, the joys and pains of living, the catharsis of blowing off steam and letting go of one’s troubles and frustrations in a live setting.
Hagglers produce music and words that do what that last paragraph describes, and they do it wonderfully.
So let’s dash away anymore feeble attempts and get right down to the meat of the matter:
“The Crux” has a rhythm of a race horse trotting, or someone placing a stream of bullets on the side of a machine gun during a World War II battle to blast away.
The bass bangs and clangs aggressively along with the propulsive beat, slashing guitar and strong, melodic vocals.
“The crux of the matter is very clear. Don’t believe everything you read or hear.” But you don’t have to believe what I write, just listen to your ears as they’re probably telling you that this is what they would most like to hear.
With an accenting jolt of hits and a bubbling, constrained energy “It’s Close Enough” soon surges forth like a volcano erupting with energy, expression and excitement galore!
The song swoops in like a high-velocity wind toppling any boredom or complacency in its’ quake.
This is the fastest, most hardcore tune on this release and it is also, my favorite. It may not be the best song I hear all year but it’s close enough.
“You better get ready when you drive alone. You better get ready when there’s nobody home.” I’m drinking alone now, at home, so I only need to steer myself to the refrigerator and back. But then I can guess, you sense that there’s “nobody home” in reference to me.
But fear not, I have two hands on the laptop leading me on.
This is a great punk’n’roll tune which is melodic but with enough rough edges full of guts and grit to erode those smooth edges over.
“Sell Our Souls” is a melodic punk song with a rockin’ beat and a great chorus with lines like, “Cheap labor…let’s sell our souls,” sung in a sarcastic way.
Great vocals, rock solid rhythm section, wonderful production and a simple, but effective guitar lead to boot!
I don’t want to sell my soul. (It would probably end up in the priced down rack in the supermarket). But you don’t have to sell me on how great a song this is.
A haggler is “an act of negotiating or bargaining over the terms of a purchase, agreement or contract.” So, I guess this band could have well off called themselves “Lawyers.”
But I refuse to haggle over if this Boston based band is melodic punk, Oi or hardcore or simply, high energy rock’n’roll because, actually, I feel they suggest all of the above.
This is music that is exciting, aggressive, passionate, thoughtful, energetic and filled with fun.
And again, as I don’t want to check off just one or two genres with them, I want to check off every item of the description above.
I encourage you to check out the Hagglers. Trust me, you won’t have to write why you like them, but I trust that you will.
That’s my job and how do the Hagglers do their job.
No argument. They do their job very, very well.
(Slimedog)
