o you see what’s going on? Do you hear it? Do you feel anything at all? For everyone who is too blind, deaf, or self-absorbed to think even a millimeter outside of our own houses of pain, Lomax is here to floodlight the reality we miss in our solipsistic plush world-view. Punk rock delivered in the true heady, angry and political (that’s with both a capital ‘P’ as well as small one, sucka) way – this trio not only don’t take any shit, they make it their mission to point out to all those shit-shovellers that what they are doing is wrong and, what’s more, it degrades those of us who willingly comply.

Beats knitted together tighter than a Savile Row suit (not that these guys would ever own one), drums whacked as if they are a multinational company CEO’s skull and vocals caterwauling with a fire not heard since London first came calling in 1977, Lomax want the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up and for you to start kicking out the jams, muthafuckers.

“Bought to Rights” highlights the biased semantics and vested interests terrorists have in keeping the war going in the Middle East (Suicide bomber/Solider of Honour/What would you do if you really wanted this to end?). Elsewhere “Anglicized” bucks against the Empire’s stiff upper lip to point out that Britain has so many skeletons in its cupboard it can barely shut the door; and brilliantly illustrate this false detachment of emotion for the sake of politeness by ending the track with a 2 AM pleadingly drunk dialed phone message from an English rose to an estranged partner. While “Knuckleheads” lifts the lid off urban dwelling (“Bring on the normalists, with net curtain fantasies and unchecked emotions”) as well as the riff from Pat Benatar’s classic “Hell is for Children” but is all the better for it.

Lomax haven’t re-invented the late 70s new-wave/punk rock wheel. To anyone who is already a fan of the genre, it may sound re-tread – especially in light of the recent NYC spawned Rapture/Liars/Radio 4 scene. But what should make you want to lace up your Doc Martens isn’t the music (even though these guys will rock you until your eyes bleed) but that this is about having the guts, the intelligence and the massive balls to force the issues that made the genre come alive in the first place. And you know what? Those same problems are still out there and pretty far from being solved. Which is why this sounds as fresh, rebellious and most importantly, relevant now as it was then.

Lomax delivers a wake-up call to everyone. Be part of the solution, as opposed to perpetuating the problem. And have a big fat pogo while yer at it.