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The Bobby Lees announce fourth album New Self, drop title-track
Listen to The Bobby Lees’ badass new single New Self, ahead of the release of their fourth album of the same name this summer.
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Album Review: The Bobby Lees – New Self
Baring both emotions and teeth, The Bobby Lees blend menacing modern punk and old-school musicality with a dash of tongue-in-cheek fun
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After experiencing burnout, going on hiatus, and flipping their own script on how to be in a band whilst keeping hold of their own individual lives, all three members of The Bobby Lees have now returned in force with their fourth album. It's one that’s bursting at the seams with sharp wit, self-awareness, and a whole lot of pissed-off feeling.
Across eight songs the trio run the gauntlet of punk sounds, and from the menacing, fiery punk rock of opener Give, to the Aussie punk rip The End, there’s a great selection of styles to be found. Lead single Napoleon is high-octane fun that’s simultaneously a self-aggrandising tale of frustration and a fantastic festival season sing along, whilst the title track bounds along in the style of Joey Valence & Brae meets IDLES, with a ‘90s influence more than palpable, but never outweighing the gritty garage punk DNA within.
Also included is a reworking of PJ Harvey's 50ft Queenie, found here as 50 Ft. According to the band it was a highlight to record, going so far as to say “This song is our favourite recording we’ve ever done”. Pushing the already boisterous vocal delivery even further, and maximising the bass sound, it becomes a new beast that suits the band down to the ground.
In keeping with punk tradition, nearly every song is below three minutes, with only All I Got, the sombre yet self-supportive song looking back on the bands’ journey so far, coming in above that. However, it’s business as usual on the final pair - sub two minutes on the acoustic punk quasi-love song Got Me Good, before the hip-hop and salsa informed Red Hot sends the album off in two minutes of meteoric rock n’ roll.
Short and sweet is the name of the game on New Self, with bouncing riffs and beefy basslines rolled up tight below sarcastic lyrics that aren’t afraid to get real. It’s a lot of fun, and marks a very welcome return to the game for a punk band who are on the ascendancy.
Verdict: 3/5
For fans of: Amyl And The Sniffers, Dead Kennedys, The Chats
New Self is released on June 12 via Epitaph
