Grade 2

Michael Venn, contributor

 

There’s something unapologetically real about Talk About It, the new album from Grade 2, a record that doesn’t try to reinvent everything that I love about the genre, it just hones it to a sharp point and then hurls it straight through your punk rock heart. These guys are still rooted in that UK Oi! street punk attitude, and you can feel it in every bass line, snare hit, guitar riff, and vocal track. The trio of Sid Ryan, Jack Chatfield, and Jacob Hull from the Isle of Wight have a working-class edge that’s definitely not manufactured. It’s raw, direct, and honest in a way a lot of modern punk seems to have forgotten.

 

You can also hear exactly why they signed with Tim Armstrong’s Hellcat Records back in 2018. The influence is all over this record, and in a good way. The DNA of Rancid is undeniable, and having Armstrong in their corner shows. The songs hit harder, the choruses stick more, and everything just feels tighter and more intentional without Grade 2 losing their street punk grit.

 

Tracks like “Cut Throat” come out swinging fast, aggressive, and built on a bassline that feels straight out of the Matt Freeman (Rancid) playbook. “Hanging On To You” is a melodic earworm that gets you on your feet and singing along by the end of the chorus. It also features a bit of Hammond organ courtesy of Kevin Bivona (the Interrupters), who is a frequent collaborator on Tim Armstrong’s projects. “Standing In The Downpour” has that big, anthemic energy, while “Better Today” shows a bit more depth without slowing things down. And the title track “Talk About It” kind of sums it all up, hooky, punchy, and built for a crowd and a mosh pit. This track hits hard and fast, and it’s complete with keys provided again by Bivona and Tim Armstrong’s trademark use of the vibroslap. “Don’t Worry About Me” hits like the Transplants, and I kept waiting for Skinhead Rob to join on the verses or drop one of his trademark raps during the breakdown.

 

What I like most about this album is that it feels like a band that has fully arrived. They didn’t lose what made them good in the first place, now they just leveled up. It’s still Oi! at its core, still gritty and loud, but it’s dialed in with real songwriting and production behind it. If you’re into punk with good songwriting that hits hard, and actually sticks with you, Grade 2 delivers with Talk About It. 11 songs, 25 minutes, and if you pick up Talk About It on vinyl, don’t forget to set it to 45 RPM. I guarantee you’ll be singing along at the top of your lungs all the way through to the last track, “Otherside”, which is a banger. This is one band I definitely need to see live.