Skint & Demoralised – This Sporting Life

The five piece indie band Skint & Demoralised have made a new and fresh album named The Sporting Life.  This is their second album and will be released Monday 12^th March 2012.

The album, produced by Heist Or Hit records, consists of ten well rounded tracks which have a raw, but appealing sound which overall is what this band gives to a listener.

The album begins with the upbeat and cheerful Hogmanay Heroes, with the lyrics “light another cigarette, don’t just be a silhouette” you can tell frontman Matt Abbott has written the songs. “Tonight we are going to party” seems to be the hook and begins the album on an uplifting note, and sets the tone for the rest of the album. The short but pretty piano ending on a nice touch.

The rest of the album carries a similar vibe, with raw vocals, lyrics of general debauchery and addiction, with quick and catchy melodies.  I found the songs a little repetitive and limited in some places, but this is kind of what they are about. They aren’t complex. Some tracks reminded me of The Pogues but with a modern indie twist.

All tracks mainly include a dominant but simple drum beat, bass and guitar. Some songs are mellow, including track eight, Did It All Go To Plan. I found myself enjoying their sound a little more, with interesting effects put on the guitar adding a little more depth and colour.

All The Rest Is Propaganda is probably their most promising track, and is said to be their lead single. It will be released on March 5th, 2012. The chorus is catchy and accompanied by a pleasant guitar riff. The lyrics “If you wanna kiss then kiss me like you’ve never done before. If you wanna run let’s run, right through that open door…” compliment the chorus, and show off Abbott’s poetic skills.

Overall, it is obvious that there hasn’t been a big production on this album, but this is what makes the style: the vocals are real and overproduction would have done nothing for it.

Charlotte Allen

Listen to a preview of This Sporting Life here