Garage punk rock may have been thought of as a thing of the past but Table Scraps are modernising punk for the new age. The Birmingham-based band embraces what made punk rock so well loved in the first place, through mixing sounds from previous eras while twisting it for a new forward-looking audience.
Garage punk rock may have been thought of as a thing of the past but Table Scraps are modernising punk for the new age. The Birmingham-based band embraces what made punk rock so well loved in the first place, through mixing sounds from previous eras while twisting it for a new forward-looking audience. The band have been receiving high praise for being a “basic punk band” that takes its audiences back to 1977. No flashy solos or riffs dominate their tunes, but the band have a knack for stripping back to the basics of garage punk and making a whole new audience fall in love with the genre.
Beyond the musical genre, the band remains true to the attitude of punk by self-producing their output, even forgoing a big label deal to stay DIY. This just goes to show the lengths they will go through to stay true to themselves, and gain their own independence in a highly controlling industry. If you need more proof, their latest album ‘Autonomy’ is testament to that. The album is a collection of unadulterated garage punk drenched in reverb and hard-hitting bass. Staying true to the genre, it’s track upon track of angst-filled, bold and brave sounds that pack a ferocious punch.
Their tracks run on themes like failure, self-hate, alienation, anger, frustration; staples to the punk rock song mill. Tracks like ‘I’m a Failure’ clearly feature that self-doubt with lines like “I hate everything I do… And it’s all because of you.” The song ‘Always Right’ on the other hand is a refreshingly feisty tune that shows how the band doesn't take any nonsense, while expressing discontent and frustration. The opening track ‘Sick of Me’has been popular ever since they released it as an EP in 2017. The song showcases how the band effortlessly brings rock n’ roll into the modern age.
Throughout these tracks, the band's also able to display their technical skills. <strong>Table Scraps</strong> have a penchant for bringing out the edginess garage punk is known for through their instruments. A huge part of their music is Scott Vincent Abbott’s exceptional lead guitar work. There aren’t a lot of bands or artists that primarily use 12-string guitars these days, with some exceptions such as Robert Plant. The band’s lead guitarist is one of the remaining few. Abbott also sticks to a three pedal limit, which includes the Death By Audio Fuzz War. This is then used alongside the Echo Dream 2 and a Boss DD-3 all of which help in bringing out the most of his 12-string guitar. The pedals help in producing the jarringly freaky yet melodic lead bursts that brings character to the trio's tracks.
There’s no doubt about it, the distinct raw angry energy coming from the band’s tunes along with the oddly familiar garage punk vibe makes Table Scraps a band to watch out for. If you want to take a trip back to the heydays of punk music, this band will take you there and then some.
There’s no doubt about it, the distinct raw angry energy coming from the band’s tunes along with the oddly familiar garage punk vibe makes Table Scraps a band to watch out for. If you want to take a trip back to the heydays of punk music, this band will take you there and then some.
