Bad Cop/Bad Cop - Warriors (Album Review)
Bad Cop/Bad Cop - Warriors
OUT - June 16th, 2017
Bad Cop/Bad Cop Line Up:
Stacey Dee - guitar, vocals
Jennie Cotterill - guitar vocals
Myra Gallarza - drums
Linh Le - bass, vocals
Bad Cop/Bad Cop Online:
There was a time when Fat Wreck Chords ruled the world, whichever band they signed became the next poster on your wall, whatever record they released became your next purchase. And maybe that hasn’t changed, but the age of the internet might have taken away a little of their steam. Whatever the case, Warriors by Bad Cop/Bad Cop is a powerful throwback to that time and it might be one of the best records to come out on the label in a long time.
There were a lot of jokes about how the post-Trump era would, at the very least, yield some great punk records. Well, Warriors lives up to the expectation and goes beyond it. The record opens with ‘Retrograde’ a powerful track which seems to explore vocalist Stacey Dee’s journey to regain control of her life after a particularly wild tour resulted in Dee placing herself in detox. From there we get the righteously pissed off ‘I’m Done’ and ‘Womanarchist’ both anthems for feminism and progressive politics. Which is one of the powerful themes that carries over the record.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL8vv1HEJGY&w=640&h=360]
‘Equality - we want it now, go fuck your beliefs I will never avow’
Given the often political nature of the lyrics, it’s great to see that Bad Cop/Bad Cop aren’t pulling their punches. They aren’t burying the message in subtext, it’s right there on the surface telling you that if you’re not on board then you can go fuck yourself. This is a band that isn’t just trying to make music, they want to make the world a better place and that’s something that I think punk rock has been missing of late. Of course, whether or not you agree with their message will depend greatly on your own personal politics, but fans of the genre that feel differently are likely to be the exception, not the rule.
Like a lot of the best punk bands, Bad Cop/Bad Cop features some really impressive vocal harmonies. The voices of Dee, Cotterill and Le all work incredibly well together. They’re also utilised in a way that enriches the message – it doesn’t just sound nice, it actually helps to elevate the emotionality of the music. It’s the kind of thing that was made famous by bands like Bad Religion and Adolescents, so if you like what those bands are doing you’re probably going to dig the hell out of this.
Considering the nature of the topics explored it would be easy for this music to feel a little depressing or bitter, but it’s the opposite. The feel is constantly upbeat - this is music that makes you want to dance. Even at its most antagonistic, it’s still a celebration. And that’s where a lot of its strength lies. These are all great punk songs and their hooks are going to be living inside your head for years to come. Although it’s a little weird that ‘Kids’, a song about a man beating his children is one of the catchiest songs on the record. But hey, at least people will be thinking about an important issue while singing the chorus in their head!
Warriors is one of the first great punk records of the post-Trump world. In fact, it’s not just a great record, I really think it’s ‘required reading’ for any of us who like our music fast and loud and are pissed off at the state of the world. If you’re not yet familiar with the work of Bad Cop/Bad Cop then it’s high time that changed. Go out and get this record.
Bad Cop/Bad Cop – Warriors track List
1: Retrograde
2: I’m Done
3: Womanarchist
4: Why Change a Thing
5: Victoria
6: Amputations
7: Broken
8: Wild Me
9: Warriors
10: Kids
11: Brain Is for Lovers
Rating: 9/10
Grab your copy of Warriors from Fat Wreck Chords
Review by Dave Mullins
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqrD0cArKMc&w=853&h=480]
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