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Welfare Problems takes a lovely little
kick at the punk rock party line

“Power in the hands of those rich enough to buy it/We’re taking it back with our musical riot…” It´s been years since punk rock’s revolutionary premise was swept away by the tide of history. Its theoretical merits thrown into cruel relief by the inadequacy of its real world incarmations. Mind you, that’s no reason to stop believing in it altogether. Leading the latest submission for the defence; Left leaning Stockholm foursome Randy. They may have overreached themselves in calling their third album “rock music with Das Kapital in one hand and a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in the other”, but they don’t half prove the theory of surplus Swedish pop value. Whatever its uneven political rigour (it kicks off with a thrillingly Strummer-meets MC5 call to arms before finally running out of ideological puff with a punk-revival default “Fuck You”).

Welfare Problems is savvier and catchier than you’ve any right to expect.   Read Full Review >>

Manish Agarwal

POLITICAL MUSIC doesn’t have to be earnest, Swedish quartet Randy
aren’t shy about their socialist convictions, but their storm-the-barricades
message is framed by such joyous and witty songs that it never comes
across as preaching.

The bands fifth studio album, “Welfare Problems” moulds `70s punk and
rock’n’roll tropes into a sound that’s both familiar and fresh. The title-track
is The Damned doing anthropology, while “A Man In Uniform” protests
against police brutality, yet parties like Aussie garage legend Radio Birdman.

Best of all is the Ramones-play-Cheap Trick bubblegum of “X-Ray Eyes” – a youth anthem so instantly memorable it feels like a forgotten hit.

  Read Full Review >>