With their debut record, Sheer Mag pick up exactly where they left off and that is by no means a bad thing. ‘Need To Feel Your Love’ is twelve songs of straight up rock ’n’ roll that will get your hips moving and feet tapping the second you hit play.
Opener ‘Meet Me In The Street’ shows just what Sheer Mag are about, a killer opening riff leading into four-to-the-floor on the kick drum that will get fists pumping and glasses raised in the air. It’s impossible to not picture yourself cruising down a motorway on a Harley Davidson surrounded by the new bike gang that you started as soon you listened to this record. ‘Need To Feel Your Love’ is the most soulful punk song you’ll ever hear, whilst the riff during the bridge on ‘Expect The Bayonet’ will make your heart burst with joy.
A downside to opening an album with four absolute bangers, though, is that what follows sometimes fails to live up to the same standard. ‘Rank and File’ and ‘Suffer Me’ don’t hit quite as hard as, say, ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’, but the album doesn’t ultimately suffer as a result. ‘Until You Find The One’ sees vocalist Christina Halliday accompanied by a sole guitar in a Fleetwood Mac-esque slow jam, whilst album closer ‘(Say Goodbye To) Sophie Scholl’ is a touching ode to one of the leaders of the anti-Nazi White Rose movement.
‘Need To Feel Your Love’ is an album of pure joy. It’s the perfect summer record and is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Every few years the cycle in media seems to go: “guitar music is dead” until a band comes around and everyone goes, “actually, no, wait! Guitar music is cool again!” Sheer Mag are that band and ‘Need To Feel Your Love’ is that album. Y’know, if your one of those dummies who thinks guitar music is ever going away.
CONOR MACKIE