Review Summary: A Different Kind of Punk Rock Classic, and one that is woefully underrated.
I’m sure most punk rock fans are all aware of the exceptional “Singles Going Steady” and how influential it would be in the world of not only punk rock, but rock music in general. While the bands first two studio albums and first few singles were all pretty good in their own right, “Singles Going Steady” took all of their hits at the time, and made an incredibly well paced and thought out compilation that’s one of the best of its kind ever put together—and one that would, ironically, eclipse any and all other releases from the band, despite it being a compilation. And while that’s definitely understandable considering how amazing it is, that, unfortunately, also meant that a certain album that’s every bit as good from the same year, as well as from the same band would totally fly under the radar, since everyone was already loving and mainly listening to “Singles Going Steady”. The album I’m talking about is, of course, this one. “A Different Kind of Tension” is, without a doubt, one of the most underrated albums of all of punk rock, because it does everything so right and all with style. And the sad thing is that almost nobody really knows about it nowadays, since, as stated before, “Singles Going Steady” already took all of the spotlights from everything they have, and will release afterwards, and while it outshined every studio album they’ve released beforehand, I’d argue that their 3rd studio effort would rival “Singles Going Steady”, as it is every bit as good, but for different reasons.
One of those reasons being the focus. Of all the punk albums I’ve heard so far, very few have had focus as razor sharp as this album does. And that’s not to say it takes it too far, as it’s never shy to delve into experimentation and right turns to keep the listener on their toes. And it’s all done very tastefully, as it’s an album that knows what it wants to be, and does a damn good job at it, which makes it come together into something very fun, as well as surprisingly poignant and relatable at times. And while it does go over some heavier themes, it also never takes itself too seriously. While it covers things like dealing with rejection, being lost in life, being depressed, being confused, and being pessimistic, it also covers things like getting high at home, being horny, some mad girl named Judy, and what a radio would sound like if they only played Buzzcocks classics. And while that may make the album sound uneven, it’s surprisingly not, as everything here, for as deep or silly they are, is great, and still works wonderful together.
That’s mainly because of how the music, itself, was written, as well as how everything was structured. Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle pulled out all of the stops in writing some of the most intriguing and hooky songs they could, and it shows here, and then some. There’s really not one song here I can say isn’t great. Heck, even “Radio Nine” is awesome, because even though it’s only a little over 40 seconds long, it’s an awesome callback to the bands history, and a damn good way to close the album. And the album flows wonderfully. “Paradise” sort of hits you out of nowhere, but it’s an excellent opener to let you know that this isn’t your average punk album. That’s explained by the aforementioned fun material that’s both deep and sometimes silly, and there’s no dull moment to be found here. Mix all of that with the bands signature excellent and raw composition, great production, and a decent amount of diversity, and what you’ve got here is something that should have gotten far more attention than it did.
All of this isn’t to say that “Singles Going Steady” is worse by any means, as that album does have a bit more diversity than this does while having a lot of the same strengths. But, I think this album has a bit more focus, and the diversity, while not quite as big, is still pretty ample. Overall, I blame the timing. Had the band released this album later instead of around the same time “Singles Going Steady”, I feel like this album would’ve been a huge hit, because it is one of the best punk albums out there, and one that time nearly forgot, when it really shouldn’t have. It’s not only fun and infectious, but it’s also full of heart and hooks that won’t fail to get stuck in your head. So, if you haven’t already, check this one out, because regardless if you have money or are hollow inside while sitting ‘round at home, I believe this will make any punk rock fan feel like they’re in paradise.
