Album Review: The Bar Stool Preachers – Above The Static (Pure Noise Records)

Carl Fisher 2 min read

Brighton, UK punks The Bar Stool Preachers will release their brand-new album ‘Above the Static’ on the 31st of March via Pure Noise Records.

Kicking things off in anthemic and catchy style, Call Me on the Way Home is such a singalong that it sets the bar for this album at a stupidly high point. The Bar Stool Preachers are back and things are looking extremely promising already.

The passion and dramatic poise that this band has is just as strong with the excellent Flatlined, where pacy rhythm meets a mind-boggling spoken word segment, to create something unique. Followed then by All Turned Blue, a track that continues the exceptional trend of heartfelt and believable catchiness. One of the rare times that a lot of ‘woah-oh-ohs’ does not seem lazy.

Doorstep is a bit of a tone shift as it’s got a heavier and more modernised groove but absolutely comes to life in the chorus. One of the most anthemic moments of the entire album. Before the halfway point of the record is reached with the brilliant Never Gonna Happen (those vocals/lyrics are immense) and the punky smile-inducing Laptop.

Does it get any better than this? The second half of the album has one hell of a tough task to follow the first. Yet, it’s clear The Bar Stool Preachers are on inspired form at the moment and that is reflected in dramatic piano melody of Lighthouse Keeper. A beautiful track.

Hilariously, Love the Love begins in rockabilly style but transitions into a more energised blast of punk rock as it goes on. Guess what? It’s stupendously catchy again. The Bar Stool Preachers are well and truly killing it here.

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A more straight-forward pair of punk rock efforts, with some snarl, in Prince of Nothing and Two Dog Night leads to something with ska-flavour on Don’t Die Today. Before this excellent album closes out with one last powerful and uplifting effort in the form of Going Forward. A track that might make you stand that little bit taller.

The Bar Stool Preachers have delivered one of the most anthemic albums of the year here.

The Bar Stool Preachers – Above the Static Track Listing:

1. Call Me on the Way Home
2. Flatlined
3. All Turned Blue
4. Doorstep
5. Never Gonna Happen
6. Laptop
7. Lighthouse Keeper
8. Love The Love
9. Prince Of Nothing
10. Two Dog Night
11. Don’t Die Today
12. Going Forward




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The Bar Stool Preachers - Above The Static (Pure Noise Records)
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