Stiff Little Fingers – No Going Back

Louise Swift 21 September 2014 Album Reviews

album by:
Stiff Little Fingers
Version:
CD
Price:
£9.32
Reviewed by:
Rating:
5
On 21 September 2014
Last modified:21 May 2015

Summary:

A wide variety of styles to keep your interest. Well produced and although there are a few mellower tracks they're all good. I wouldn't say there are any fillers. A bit of reggae, Goth and Celtic Rock in there with varied comparisons from The Stanglers to The Jam from Twisted Sister to The Pipkins. No Going Back will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Belfast Pop Punk Band Stiff Little Fingers have recorded their tenth studio album ‘No Going Back’ just over 10 years since their last album ‘Guitar and Drum’ and thirty-five years since their first ‘Inflammable Material’ The album was released on 11th August 2014 via the group’s own imprint ‘Rigid Digits’ with global marketing and distribution by Mondo Recordings/INgrooves.

Stiff Little Fingers - No Going Back (Cover)
Stiff Little Fingers – No Going Back (Cover)

I don’t know where to start with this one. I picked up lots of different flavours and influences some obvious, some probably unintentional. It’s  guaranteed to keep your interest from start to finish so I’ll start at the beginning and work through to the end. The opening track Liars Club has an American pop punk vibe with a hint of Gothic and some great riffs, say Blink 182 meets The Cramps. The next song My Dark Places reminded me of Another Girl Another Planet by The Only Ones, which interestingly Blink 182 covered. Full Steam Backwards has a bass start a bit Peace Sells by Megadeth before it fires straight into something more akin to The Jam, Peace Sells meets Eton Rifles? In I Just Care About Me I picked up a taste of We’re Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister and not for the only time in the album but we’ll come to that later.

Don’t Mind Me starts of with a reggae beat then speeds up into a more punky number before slowing down to the reggae again, speeding up again and including some screaming riffs. Guilty as Sin starts with a tin whistle ( well I think it’s a tin whistle rather than a flute) a gentle, nautical, sea shanty type song to bring down the pace before One Man Island ups tempo again this time reminiscent of Big Country with some added screaming riffs. Next we come to We’re Not Going to Take It again with Throwing It All Away although I got a bit of a twist because I also picked up a hint of Rebel Rebel by David Bowie.

Good Luck With That has to be the most unlikely pairing as I pulled out some elements of Poison’s Your Mama Don’t Dance and Gimme Dat Ding by The Pipkins. Strange but true! Trail of Tears has a Celtic Loch Lomond vibe whilst Since Yesterday Was Here started of very Duchess by The Stranglers. Then we reach the last song with When We Were Young which reminded me of The Alarm say 68 Guns.

A wide variety of styles to keep you hooked. Well produced and although there are a few mellower tracks they’re all good and I wouldn’t say there are any fillers. It’s a worthy ten out of ten for the boys from Belfast, which translates as five stars! It’s hard to pick a highlight track as there are some great songs on here but my favourites have to be One Man Island and Throwing It All Away.

Track List:

Stiff Little Finger - No Going Back (Track List)
Stiff Little Fingers – No Going Back (Track List)

1: Liar’s Club
2: My Dark Places
3: Full Steam Backwards
4: I Just Care About Me
5: Don’t Mind Me
6: Guilty As Sin
7: One Man Island
8: Throwing It All Away
9: Good Luck with That
10: Trail of Tears
11: Since Yesterday Was Here
12: When We Were Young

Band Members: 

Jake Burns – Vocals/Guitar
Ali McMordie – Bass
Steve Grantley – Drums
Ian McCallum – Guitar

SLF on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StiffLittleFingers

SLF Tour Dates: https://www.facebook.com/StiffLittleFingers/app_123966167614127

SLF Website: http://www.slf.com/

A wide variety of styles to keep your interest. Well produced and although there are a few mellower tracks they're all good. I wouldn't say there are any fillers. A bit of reggae, Goth and Celtic Rock in there with varied comparisons from The Stanglers to The Jam from Twisted Sister to The Pipkins. No Going Back will keep you hooked from start to finish.

About Louise Swift

I first went to a gig in 1981, Gillan at Leeds University. I've been a regular gig goer ever since. I haven't kept count of how many gigs I've been to over the intervening years, but it's a lot! My favourite bands are AC/DC then, in no particular order, Anti-Nowhere League, Slaughter and the Dogs, Towers of London and Dirt Box Disco. I tend to like Glam/Punk and rude offensive lyrics, not sure what that says about me but as Animal would say 'So What!' The question was recently put to me - did I write for any online publications? My reply - No, but I'd like to! Planetmosh was suggested and I found myself offering to review Aces High Festival. Easy peasy I thought! Well not quite, if a jobs worth doing it's worth doing well! I had sixteen bands to research. I found I actually enjoyed that and it kept me too busy to be making lunatic comments on Facebook! ;) Then I felt a bit inadequately qualified. I mean, who am I to comment on others, when my musical expertise extends to being able to play a mean Greensleeves on the recorder and a passable Annie's song on the flute! Haven't picked up either instrument for years! What I do have, however, is over 30 years of experience as a gig goer, so I can comment on what I like and what I don't! It's only my opinion and, if I don't like a band it doesn't mean they are bad, just not to my own liking. I admire anyone who has the guts to get up on that stage and have a go!
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