ALBUM REVIEW: Post Industrial Hometown Blues – Big Special
Black Country duo BIG SPECIAL have been on a steady rise since the release of their first single in 2023. From regular airplay on 6 Music to tours with post-punks SLEAFORD MODS, it seems that many are resonating with the working class diatribes of the band’s singer/songwriter Joe Hicklin. Post Industrial Hometown Blues is very much a vehicle for Hicklin’s poetry to be put to music. After having an unsatisfying career as a singer/songwriter he decided he needed a change: “I was used to standing there singing with my acoustic guitar, and trying to make everything melodic,” he says. “But I fell out of love with it. I just wanted to shout my poems – to write my song-y songs, but fuse spoken word into it as well.” This encapsulates the sprit of the album: fiery spoken word set to a backdrop of soulful punk, folk and hip-hop.
Over 15 tracks and 48 minutes, Post Industrial Hometown Blues laments the economic and social depression of a broken Britain and universal personal struggles. Rousing single Shithouse details fighting depression and its effects on the individual, while Black Dog/White Horse deals with feelings of shame and guilt that mental illness can bring.
While certainly dealing with bleak issues, there is a thread of humour that runs through Post Industrial Hometown Blues. The funky and hip-hop tinged I Mock Joggers highlights the eternal struggle of keeping fit and avoiding self loathing, with the lyrics “I’m a lapsed Catholic, soon to become asthmatic” and “I mock joggers because I’m insecure about my weight / I should be out running but I’m always running away or running late.”
One of Post Industrial Hometown Blues‘ biggest strengths is how down to earth and relatable the album is lyrically, taking inspiration from classic country and blues artists who write about working class struggles. While the album is overtly political, it doesn’t make the mistake of empty sloganeering and instead it captures the effects a country in decline has on its people.
Hicklin’s lyrics are a vital part of the album but equally important to its success is the musical backdrop and other half of the duo Callum Molones. From a cursory listen it could be easy to lump BIG SPECIAL in with the likes of other bands from the modern post-punk movement (IDLES, YARD ACT, SHAME), but shouty punk is only one slice of this musically diverse pie. From soul-tinged tracks such as opener Black Country Gothic and the jazzy swing of This Here Aint Water, to the electronics-driven My Shape (Blocking The Light), to the rousing theatrics of anthemic closer DiG!, the breadth of influences on display elevate Post Industrial Hometown Blues above many of the offerings of their contemporaries.
Post Industrial Hometown Blues is a masterful debut and a real contender for one of the best albums of 2024. The duo have poured their heart and soul into creating this and it comes from a real place of authenticity. Despite having its roots in the Black Country, the messages are universal and relatable for many. It’s cliché to say that difficult times create the best art but with BIG SPECIAL, the cliché is true.
Rating: 9/10
Post Industrial Hometown Blues is out now via self-release.
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