After much delay, the new full-length album from Leeds outfit Crumbs is here. You're Just Jealous is a brisk rundown of the best bits from the glory days of punk. It's also notable proof of how vital this genre remains, especially when performed with gusto and fire by a new generation.
It's not enough that there's a cover of "Too Many Creeps" here to signify the debts owed to past punk pioneers; Crumbs even let the title cut of their new album sound a bit like Bush Tetras too. While "Stab Alley" has a bit of the riot grrl edge about it, the sharp "Rest in Pieces" goes one further in seeming like the direct heir to the Huggy Bear legacy. Elsewhere, "Dear Deidre", with its new video below, is more melodic. The guitar and tentative rhythms of this are delicious, and the tune is a neat blend of so much of what was bubbling up in the early Nineties, though filtered through a modern lens. Retro? Yes, but if the formula works, why not apply it?
Crumbs could have fit neatly on the Kill Rock Stars imprint in 1993. As it is, they are well-served by being on the label run by Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey (Heavenly, Marine Research, The Catenary Wires, Swansea Sound). This is DIY punk with a sort of timelessness about it. Sure, stytistically there are many nods to the past -- a cover of "Too Much Creeps", as I mentioned -- but there's a lot of juice left in this genre. Engaging, energetic, and passionate, Crumbs approach this stuff with real gusto and a bit of bravado. You're Just Jealous is fiery in the right way, folks!
You're Just Jealous by Crumbs is out today via Skep Wax. There's a listening party for Crumbs on June 21. Details via that link or via Bandcamp.
[Photo: Skep Wax]