An Slua – How Ya Gettin’ On? EP

With all the punk bands coming out of Europe lately, this new band from Galway, Republic of Ireland has been one of the biggest surprises for me. While it’s easy to get fed up with all the bands that don’t really bring anything new to the table, sometimes there are groups that find the perfect spot between the thuggish old school sound and a more melodic modern twist, filled with fresh ideas and upbeat lyrics that are in line with the punk ethos of today.

With that introduction, An Slua has everything you’d expect from a good modern Oi! band. They play what seems to be a straightforward form of power chord driven bootboy music, taking direct cues from Blitz in the thuggish department and the sense of melody known to Cock Sparrer, Angelic Upstarts and a whole bunch of newer bands in their footsteps. If you still have any doubts about their main influences, the title track kicks off with the familiar “Oi! Oi! Oi!” chorus, in their case in Irish instead of Cockney rhyming slang.

After a few listens, I really like that this release is a bit more melodic than the usual type of stuff I enjoy, but it’s not too polished and is quite angry at times. Lyrics are usually very important to me when it comes to any branch of the hardcore punk genre, and although the Oi! bands don’t usually shine with the brightest lines, An Slua have made an interesting choice on these four recordings. The first two tracks, “How Ya Gettin’ On” and “Work Shy”, are both about the underprivileged and underpaid class, dealing with issues such as the need for working class unity and the exploitation of workers and tenants by their bosses and landlords, while the flip side of this 7-inch vinyl consists of two more songs, “Peas & Carrots” and “On Your Plate”, both of which speak on behalf of an even more underprivileged and exploited class—non-human animals! It’s rare to see Oi! bands singing about animal liberation and the horrors of the meat industry, so they really hit the nail on the head for me with these two songs.

And if the great Oi! music and clever lyrics aren’t enough for you, there’s also the great artwork depicting an ancient dolmen by legendary punk artist Seán Fitzgerald, with his intimate knowledge and passion for Irish mythology. On the other hand, the band seems to enjoy a bit of good ol’ Oi! humor, proclaiming on the insert that they are “Certified Oi!ganic”. But this is not Oi! for laughs and poking fun at every facet of the skinhead scene in the sense of bands like Hard Skin, but more in the progressive sense of Oi Polloi. An Slua are doing some really good things here, check them out and pick up this certified non-GMOi cracker!