“Do you dance often. I hate dancing. I rarely get caught dancing in public, unless I’m under the influence of punk rock, where dancing is loosely interpreted. Older punk records usually go as far as getting my feet tapping, but rarely do they ever cause me to kick my chair from beneath me and twist my hips. I’ve been dancing lately, and it’s because of The Vibrators’ ‘Pure Mania.’ Very similar to The Buzzcocks’ pop-punk flavor, The Vibrators display a mastery of hooks that would embarrass modern pop-punk bands if ever put to comparison with these punk rock veterans. ‘Pure Mania’ focuses on sex. What’s more important than girls. If you’re in the business of making albums, I’d recommend following The Vibrators’ formula of love ballads with ridiculously catchy beats and those British vocals that will make almost every girl swoon. Why not throw in a piano and organ behind a voice yearning ‘Baby, baby, baby, won’t you be my girl’ Make sure you have a decent crew of backup vocalists to match your chilling ‘Ooooooh’s,’ designed to run up a girl’s spine. They need to be solid musicians as well to achieve a similar overlay of guitars that provide a spark on top of a throbbing bass. You can try, but you probably will get as far as succeeding as The Vibrators’ cover band. I doubt you can also match the relentless gear shifting vocals of Ian Carnochan, or ‘Knox,’ as he is also known. His voice grinds and soothes, with recognizable resent and confidence, as he sorts through his love life. He is the ignition to The Vibrators’ aforementioned mastery of hooks and a vital supplement to the competent instrumentation that drives The Vibrators’ sound. Once ‘Pure Mania’ begins, you’re tapping. …”
Sputnik Music
W – Pure Mania
W – The Vibrators
iTunes
YouTube: Pure Mania FULL ALBUM