Scott Sorry – “When We WereKings”

It’s possible that the name Scott Sorry may not be known to you. However, if you’re a fan of punk rock with a bit of a rock n roll twist then you are sure to know some of his bands. This most notably includes Amen and The Wildhearts but it says a lot when our favourite of his former bands was Sorry And The Sinatras. Having graced those bands, we are now being treated to his first solo album.

Anyone concerned that Scott has joined the hundreds of ex punks turned sensitive, acoustic, singer song writer will be mightily relieved when they hear the opening track “Broken Hearts and 45’s”. It’s a great punk n roll song, full of energy and perfectly demonstrates his love of music. Songs like “End Of Summer” and “Til’ All The Pieces Fit”, clearly show that he has lost none of his punk rock aggression.

However, he is also not afraid to throw in some melody and big hooks. In particular, “Close Calls”, with its blend of pop and crunchy guitars, will appeal to the many Wildhearts fans out there. Whilst, “Give It” owes as much to power pop as it does to punk rock, it’s a brilliant song. Likewise, “When We Were Kings” is another upbeat rock n roll song which in the perfect world would be blasted all over the radio.

The album brilliantly switches from the far harder and aggressive sound of “Rewired” to the melodic, and indeed catchy, “Turning Ashes”. Strangely, the one thing it doesn’t really sound like is a solo album. It has a full band sound and is full of passion. The perfect blend of punk rock and melody just continues with songs like “Carry On”, which is like The Yo-Yos at their most aggressive. The album then comes to an end with the far more subdued, but no less excellent, “Days on End”.

Scott Sorry is part of a group of musicians who keeps kicking out great music. As well as Scott’s old bands, it includes other acts like The Yo-Yos, The Loyalties and the various Wildhearts off-shoot bands. Lots of members have moved between the bands, but time differences have meant they’ve never quite created an actual ‘scene’.  Perhaps as a result of that, they have never quite got the wider support and success they deserve. However, they have generated a group of fans who absolutely love the music they create. It’s safe to say that if you are a fan of any of those bands that this is another essential album to add to your collection.