THE RUN UP- ‘Good Friends, Bad Luck’
Punk rock is rarely about reinvention, right? And for the most part there is little about ‘Good Friends, Bad Luck’ that feels new or exciting. The Run Up’s bouncy rhythms, positive vibes, and gruff, earnest vocals are all things you’ve heard before, standard fare for fans of much scrappy UK punk. But every so often there’s something more here, a warm, wide, post-hardcore texture that roars to the surface even in the band’s shortest, fastest cuts. In lesser hands it might pull awkwardly in a different direction than the insistent, busy energy throughout but instead it combines really well. I want much more. An excellent production job really helps to further emphasise the Bristol quintet’s creative efforts and here’s hoping they give it even more time and deeper focus in the future because it feels like The Run Up have found a sound truly worth exploring. Keep on running.
