Album by Buzzcocks

Wait…a new Buzzcocks album in the year of our lord two-thousand and twenty-six? That was not on my bingo card.

I’ve known a handful of some classic Buzzcocks songs for years, but I’d never actually sat down with a full album. So starting here felt like a perfectly reasonable way to fix that (not really).

The sound is exactly what I imagined it would be. It’s still rooted in that formula of fast, hooky pop-punk songs, but the intensity feels dialed down just enough that you can really hear the pop instincts behind it. The riffs are sharp, the melodies stick, and the songwriting has a clever little edge. The vocals also seem a bit more subdued that the way I remember them.

Slowing things down a bit makes the influences easier to hear. There’s a definite Beatles-like quality to some of the guitar lines and harmonies that might get lost when everything is flying by at full speed.

The songs can be a little repetitive, but that almost feels like the point. They take a simple idea and driving it home until the hook is burned into your head. That approach leads to a lot of fun, catchy moments throughout the record.

Tracks like “Queen of the Scene”, “Games”, and “Seeing Daylight” especially hit that sweet spot — upbeat, sharp, and easy to get stuck in your head.

Overall, Attitude Adjustment feels like a band that still understands what made their sound work in the first place. It’s punchy, melodic, and full of hooks, even if it plays things a little more relaxed than the early days. There’s a lot to like here.

Verdict: Worth A Spin

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