Ste McCabe - Murder Music

The only problem with Murder Music is its self-Godwination, to steal a phrase. Linking Christianity and Islam with Nazism, as per the cover art and non-musical interludes, is facile, and too problematic to dissect on a limited word count, so let’s move on. The bulk of the album is McCabe’s trademark blend of angry and witty queer pop-punk. Whether he’s raging about homophobic murders, enthusing about cleaning toilets for minimum wage, or taking the piss out of overly macho idiots who deafen themselves with loud music in souped-up cars, his words are always accompanied by a catchy tune, liable to both lodge itself in your head and coax you onto the floor come the next queer dance party. He’s got a winning formula, and his righteous anger strikes a chord – so hopefully next time he’ll give more thought to the complexities of the institutions he critiques. I’ll be keen to hear how that will sound. [Trevor Mawhinney]