Shandy - Tough(er) Pucker
Bovver Boogie Productions (CD) / Contra Records & Longshot Music (LP)
With dates left in France, Italy, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, Brisbane’s ‘Bovver Boogie Brigade’ Shandy is still having a ruck throughout Europe at the time I write this up. And let me tell you, if you have the chance to check these guys out live, do it! Personally I am absolutely gutted I couldn’t to make it to one of their gigs...
Because as frequent readers might know, I’ve been an instant fan of the Shandy gang the moment their debut single, “Dance All Night”, dropped on Bootboys’ Cove Records. With the crackin’ “Bish Bosh Bash” 45 earlier this year I couldn’t wait to hear the band’s debut full-length album “Tough(er) Pucker”. Now that the time is here, it is probably needless to say that the album has been on heavy (as in very very heavy) rotation ever since, but there, I said it anyway!
But why do I love the Shandy sound so much? I think it goes two ways, the first one is of course my own personal taste of music, but the second reason goes a bit (but just a bit) deeper: it brings back memories! With influences strongly reminding me of the bands I ‘had’ to listen to as a little kid, when dad was still king of the stereo, it’s bringing back a certain amount of nostalgia of days filled with fun and not a care in the world! Something that shines through the band’s lyrics as well, as “Tough(er) Pucker” is filled with tunes about hanging out, dancing, flirting, partying, doing silly and having a good time!
Therefor titles like “Go You Good Thing”, “Really Gonna Do It Now”, “You Got It Going”, “Ride With You”, “Beards And Banjos”, “Boogie Woogie” and “Dance” pretty much speak for themselves. With the musical influences ranging from The Sweet, Slade and Status Quo to the Ramones, Cock Sparrer and Vanilla Muffins, “Tough(er) Pucker” is an extremely catchy, upbeat and fun album that will be the most feel-good album of the year in my book, that’s for sure! It makes me want to dance, sing, act crazy, but most of all, it makes me smile from ear to ear!
So to me this is an absolute must-have that is available on both LP and CD. The LP, “Tough Pucker”, is released by Contra Records and Longshot Music while the CD version, “Tougher Pucker”, is self-released by the band (via Bovver Boogie Productions) and contains two bonus tracks, namely “Kookaburra Sings” and perhaps my favorite track of the whole frigging album, “Sunnybank ‘73”! Either way, get this and get your bovver boogie on!!
