Back in the mid 00’s, The Messengers released an album that was pleasingly punchy but also lent a welcome sense of accessibility via its melodic punk sound. That self titled record harked back to the Tilt debut from ’94 and other great fare, and introduced the world to vocalist Shannon Wilson, a performer who clearly seemed destined for greatness. It was the sort of record that deserved the kind of success gained by The Distillers’ ‘Coral Fang’ and a couple of other releases around the same time, and yet it never seemed to garner more than a cult following.

Twenty years on, Shannon can be found fronting Bandages, another very melodic punk band whose debut release is loaded with great riffs and a wealth of thoughtful lyrics. There’s so much about this record that’ll feel familiar from first listen, and yet, Bandages deliver their core sound with so much belief and enthusiasm, the results sound anything but stale.

Following an intro of sirens creating unease, ‘American Arrogance’ sets the tone for the album with a punk workout where muted chords are joined by a world of busy basslines and (an unexpected) swirling keyboard sound. The guts of punk are jostled by this more traditional rock sound in such a way that Bandages’ blend of anger and melody sounds more mature than many of their would be peers, but if anything makes it truly work, its a really catchy hook. “This is American arrogance”, Shannon sneers, before pointing out they’re living in a world where “freedom of choice makes no sense”. For those not into a socio-political vibe, there’s more than enough interest in the music alone to make this work, and for the old Messengers fans, it’ll be a relief to discover that Shannon’s voice has barely changed in the intervening years. Without even a pause, the power chords that close that number slide straight into the superior ‘Killer Kid’, a workout that is loaded with pogo-worthy riffs sounding like an overspill from The Messengers’ debut and Tilt’s ‘Play Cell’. Opening with a barrage of drums, it immediately sells a hard edged groove, but a world of harmony vocals delivered with a descending melody lends a slightly more commercial edge that’s very welcome. Brandon’s opening guitar riff works well enough to grab the attention, but bend your ears past the more direct elements and you’ll find a very complex bassline creating a great flow. Wade is an absolutely superb player, but as before, it’s Shannon who steals the show with a great vocal. Between a repetitive chorus and superb arrangement, this is easily an album standout.

Although it was released as the band’s debut single – five months ahead of the album – ‘Replace’ isn’t quite so immediate. The intro shares a really sedate tone that makes the guitars sound distant, and Shannon’s voice sounds a little thinner than usual. It soon becomes clear that this is a stylistic choice designed to make the chorus sound much bigger. When that hits, the levels of distortion come with speaker blowing intensity, with both Wade’s bass and Brandon’s guitar absolutely cranked, and Shannon attempting to wring as much anger as possible from a one-word hook. There’s a real energy here, and perhaps that’s why it was shared ahead of the album itself; however, beyond an aggressive stance, it’s not as satisfying as the rest of the record. It’s never bad; it’s more a case of the band presenting far more sophisticated work elsewhere on this disc. In fairness, it’s one of those punk tunes that works better when heard as a stand-alone track.

‘Mayday’ shifts the mood further towards a rock sound, with an arrangement which leans heavily upon a mid tempo guitar chug and introduces a few unexpected twin lead moments with a 70s flair. The more mature sound suits the band and shows how easily they can branch out and push beyond punk’s perceived limitations. Much like Brodie Dalle’s work with the short-lived Spinnerette, this provides a great showcase for Shannon, but beyond the more melodic moments, you’ll still find strong links with other Bandages tunes – namely another brilliant bassline and a natural gift for a vocal harmony or two – which ensure this never feels out of place. Those hoping to find something more aggressive here should check out ‘I Wanna Make A Record’ which supplies a superb intro loaded with fuzz bass and rockabilly tinged guitar parts, before dropping squarely into a knockabout punk piece where a shoutier vocal bristles against a sharp edged guitar. With plenty of fury and repetition, this becomes an earworm in record time, before ‘Tomorrow’ utilises more of that fuzz bass to drive a number where Bandages explore more of a punk ‘n’ roll aesthetic, naturally allowing the rhythm section to power through something a little more interesting. With occasional stop-start riffs leading into one of the album’s punkier guitar parts and a very natural vocal fighting for dominance, this is classic Bandages fare from first listen, and a great showcase for Wade and drummer Andrew as the band’s powerhouse rhythm section.

Elsewhere, ‘Perfect Hit’ delivers classic sounding melodic punk that’s very bass oriented, and the band sound really enthused sharing some hard edged riffs beneath a striking, almost curly vocal. Although this is a standout on musical appeal alone, it’s lyrically vital at the time of release, sharing thoughts of how “gender is a spectrum and every one is cool” and how “everyone deserves to be loved”. In addition, there are swipes against the current state of America with mentions of how the world needs to “beware of Christians in false gloves” and lyrics that challenge police brutality and remind everyone that “racism is institutionalised”. Fact is, everything has “gone to shit” and Bandages are painfully aware of this. The track’s payoff line of “Canada take me now” couldn’t make things clearer. And to think that things began to look much worse after this was recorded… Adding more variety to an already great record, ‘Doom’ mixes familiar punky riffs with slower, almost hardcore-like breakdowns which bring the best out of Brandon’s guitar work, allowing him to share something with a little more force, while ‘Honest, Honest’ dispenses with some of the punkier edges to share more pointed guitar work with an almost surf-ish tone in places, and a muted approach to parts of the track that increase the tension. Naturally, Shannon taps into a perfect vocal no matter what the arrangement throws her way, and by the time the track reaches its peak with a round of massive “whoahs”, the listener is able to experience something that sounds as if it would work brilliantly within the band’s live set.

With eleven tracks and no filler,‘Bandages’ is one of those records that belongs in any discerning punk fan’s collection. It’s well produced, has an almost timeless sound, and acts as a reminder of punk as a force for good within a failing world. If you liked The Messengers, this is a must, but can also be heartily recommended to fans of The Gateway District and the brilliant City Mouse. As debuts go, it’s almost flawless.

January/February 2025