The Awful Truth in Bloomington, MN

English punk band
the Nightingales
have been on their own path since they formed in the late '70s, eschewing the predictable political stances and anti-society clichés of their punk rock peers for songs that were intellectual, biting, and always laced with dark, sardonic humor. With lyricist/vocalist
Robert Lloyd
as the band's central figure through multiple lineup changes and a second act that began when the group reactivated in 2004,
have created their own brand of smart, smarmy punk that's as absurd as it is righteously raging.
The Awful Truth
finds the band in full force, with nervy songs built on high-powered riffs and unrelenting attitude, often with vitriol aimed at government institutions and political misdeeds. Straight out of the gate, "The New Emperor's New Clothes" is charged, melodic rock & roll. The inclusion of violins atop the blasting three-chord song structure brings
the Mekons
to mind, and there are also nods to
the Stooges
,
the Velvets
, and
the Modern Lovers
sewn into the song's arrangement, but all buried beneath
Lloyd
's gruff vocal grumble. "Same Old Riff" is similarly pre-punk rock & roll, with the same tone
Lou Reed
took on
New York
reformatted in a scathing assessment of remorseless public officials and the harm those in power do to the working class. The band move between burning punk blasts like "Warm Up,"
Fall
-esque repetitive grooving like "The Men, Again," and weirdo sidebars like the not-quite-serious faux-country balladry of "The Princess and the Piss Artist" or the nightmarish lounge act that plays out on "The Gates of Heaven Ajar." The band's primary currency remains energy, and
is never lacking in that department. Nearly a half-century in, and still forging a sound and a vantage point on punk that's outside of the norm,
continue their fiery march toward oblivion on
, laughing at themselves and the world around them every step of the way. ~ Fred Thomas