Simon Wells – Crime of the Scene

Simon Wells – he of Snuff, those great purveyors of authentic punk rock back in the day – has a new record, and it’s the first record to be put out through Chop Back Music, a label established by Carol Hodge (who played with Crass’ Steve Ignorant as part of the band, Slice of Life). 

For an album freighted with that weight of authenticity, you can’t help but be struck by its sincerity more than anything else. There is no posturing of any kind here. There are acoustic guitars, there is occasional piano, and there is a voice – the voice of Simon Wells; honest, a little wobbly at times, but always truthful and genuine and heartfelt. But actually, in an age of vocoder vocals and conveyor belt identikit EDM, maybe that's the last posture a punk can make – to tell you who they are.

What Crime of the Scene sounds like more than anything else is Billy Bragg circa Workers Playtime, when Cara Tivey’s piano was as much to the fore as Bragg’s guitar. Unlikely to make many end of year best of lists just because this isn’t the sound many would ascribe to 2017, Crime of the Scene is still an album that a furious few will passionately love. And you can count us among 'em.

Listen to: Slide, All at Sea, Turn it Up