Well I was impressed.... (Pulley - Pulley)

Member Name: mambo123

Product:	Pulley - Pulley
Date:	16/10/01 (28 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It sounds great!

Disadvantages: It isn't free? I dunno there isn't any disadvantages.

I was pushed to do this review after hearing a new song of theirs on radio 1. It brought back the happy thoughts that I experience whenever I listen to this album. @#!* was the first album of theirs I had come into contact with, having bought it on a whim after I saw a review in Kerrang magazine. Admittedly I was first captivated by the artwork, an anime (big eyes & head, small body) like kid holding a lit match while buildings around him burn. So thanks to Kerrang I know about one of the greatest melodic punk bands on this earth, and hopefully by writing this review someone else, like me, will buy this cd on a whim and enjoy it as much as I have.

I don't think it is enough to simply talk about how great this album is, because there isn't a single dud song on the whole cd. Therefore I will talk through each track:-


1. Working Class Whore - The opening riff sums up this whole song, it is simply amazing. With the drums it crescends into a punk frenzy (I've always wanted to say that). The vocals are unlike any other I have heard before. The drums are astounding, this is coming from someone who has played drums for 10 years, and the bass is fairly heavy. The end of the song is as good as the beginning, a simple march like roll is played, and is very effective, also a big contrast to the rest. This was also Pulley's showcase song for the compilation cd 'Punk Chunks Vol. 1'.

2. Soberbeah - This is my ultimate 'Car Tune' music, I must have listened to this song a million times in my car and I never tire of it. When I first heard this I realised that when vocalist Scott left Ten Foot Pole, he made the best decision of his life. Why, you may ask? Because otherwise this song would never have been written. This song should be made illegal because of its insane catchiness; I can not listen to this song without singing along to the lyrics, to do so would be a crime.

3. Pie - Once again this is
one of those great 'sing-a-long' tracks. The drums are fast and the bass springs along, I like this song because of the way the guitar slides into a huge riff, also the bridge part at the end just makes you want to let go and jump about.

4. Gone - This is very definitely a good runner for number one single of the cd. It's fast and poppy, though I feel it has a dark cynicism behind it. The drums very much complement what the guitarist is playing, and the vocals are bright and chirpy.

5. Over It - When I first heard this track, I just thought wow. Then I played it again. I could not understand how a song like this would be stuck in the middle of an album. The riff is very metally sounding, very unlike any other song on the cd, not at all what you would expect from Pulley.

6. Darkside - Back to their melodic punk poppiness, the drums are very fast and at all times lead the song onwards. After reading the lyrics I was impressed at how dark they were (I guess that's why it's called darkside!)

7. Nothing To Lose - This may sound strange, but whenever I hear the opening to this song it reminds me of The Police song 'Message In A Bottle', it must be the snare drum rim sound that does it, or the weaving in and out that the guitar does. 'Think of all the energy you've wasted, bringing others down', probably the best lyric in this song, though this song is possibly the weakest on the album for lyrics, but the vocal tone makes up for this.

8. Second Best - The rising guitar intro, the harsh shouty-ish (what a word) lyrics, and bouncy drums make this a great song, the bridge is hard hitting and before you know it, the song is over.

9. Just For Me - The intro induces the listener to want to bang their head in time with the drums, I absolutely love the lyrics in this song, I don't know why, they just sound fantastic. At 1 min 38, the music stops, the guitar plays, the drums e
xplode with a Tre-esq fill (Green day). One of the least popular songs on the album, it's still a corker!

10. Dog's Life - Lyrics written to make the listener smile, the song is pretty fast, lead by the drums. The palm muted guitar parts are neatly arranged, but when the guitar starts playing the rhythm, that is when the song comes alive.

11. Sick - Possibly the worse song on the album, it isn't a total downer, just not as good as the other tracks, though it is fast and the drums sound great, I just think that the vocal tone lacks something. Also the white noise distortion that is played the whole way through the song is unnecessary, though it's probably just me 'pedantoman' that notices.

12. Intro-Outro - And what a great one it is, this instrumental song greatly sums up the whole album, it's heavy, has big over tones, and is a great way to end a cd.


After hearing this album for the first time from start to finish, I felt punished that I had never heard of this band before. I was so happy when it had finished, though disappointed that it, like many other punk cds, was so short. I am sure this cd will remain in my favourite pile for many years to come (hey it has been in there for 2 years already!).

And what's more, the cd still has more to offer. Stick this little gem in your pc, and you have 4 movies to watch, 2 songs - Darkside and Soberbee. Also out-takes from the studio, and a great comedy piece featuring a Ronald McDonald. The only bad thing about the videos is that you have to use quicktime, it would have been nice to use good ole media player.

Every song on this cd is like having a party in your head and everybody is invited. If you like fast melodic punk, buy this. Highly recommended. If you like classical/hymn music, why are you still reading? :)

Summary: