Album Review: Dream Nails – Dream Nails

Mixing tongue-in-cheek impishness with a more serious commentary on the failings of modern constructs and the anxieties that come with them, the debut album from London four-piece Dream Nails is a fierce and fun collection of spiky punk jams.

There’s a riotous excitement to first track-proper Jillian, with a Ramones-esque sense of giddiness driven by a rumbling bass, and this air of vitality continues throughout the rest of the record. DIY and the brilliantly-titled Text Me Back (Chirpse Degree Burns) bring plenty of humour to the table, with the latter being a particularly amusing take on ghosting and modern dating culture, as vocalist Janey Starling sings, ‘Validate me… or just date me’.

The breezy retro pop-punk of This Is The Summer is another enjoyable highlight, but Dream Nails also impress when they up the aggression and put society to the sword. Corporate Realness – a relatable ode to the failings of office culture – is a sardonic swipe at 21st century capitalism, whilst Payback offsets groovy riffs against a rallying gang vocal cry of ‘One day we’ll make you pay.’ Similarly, Kiss My Fist is an affecting commentary on the barbaric homophobic attack that two London women were subjected to last year. As Starling declares ‘Ask us to kiss again / We’re gonna eat your brains!’ you can’t help but feel every word of this powerful, turbulent analysis of discriminatory violence.

In bridging moments of hilarity with those of high importance, Dream Nails have created a youthful, vibrant and accessible modern punk album that’s far smarter than their jokey song titles and mid-album skits would have you believe. It’s an intelligent, thrilling and likeable record from one of the most exciting bands in British punk.

Verdict: 4/5

For Fans Of: Petrol Girls, The Tuts, Ramones

Dream Nails is released on August 28 via Alcopop!.