10 years after the release of their debut EP Wild River, Tijuana Bibles have finally released their long awaited debut album Free Milk. The Scottish post-punk quartet have 12 songs packed full of anger, chaos and most importantly a message.
The spine of the band consists of frontman Tony Costello and his brother Danny Costello who is the bassist. With Tony switching between a distinctly Scottish baritone singing voice and a more typical punk bark, the vocals blend perfectly with Danny’s driving basslines which stand out on almost every track.
The band take aim at almost everything modern throughout the album and their message is clear. Punk to the core – they go for the government, Britain and just about anything else that has annoyed them. ‘Free Milk’ has the line “welcome to the smell of modern Britain” which sums up the attitude of all 12 tracks.
The energy is there from the first second. Costello screaming “this is a national anthem” opens the album, with the first track ‘Statesman’ brimming with attitude. ‘Pariah’ takes a groovier turn slightly lowering the tempo but not losing an ounce of energy.
‘Three is a Cult’ opens with a lethal combination of drums and guitar riffs. The pairing of Mikey Dornan’s drums and James Brannigan’s step the tone into a near metal territory early on. On ‘Three is a Cult’ and ‘Architect’ Danny Costello slips into a Nick Cave-esque vocal range. With baritone almost spoken verses, the songs burst into life when the vocals are pushed during the choruses.
‘Unknown’ has a different feel to most of the other tracks on the album. Almost reminiscent of 2000’s indie rock like The Killers, the punk attitude is still there but the sound is a departure from the rest of the album.
‘Mothman’ has the Nick Cave vocals return and is one of the standout tracks on the whole album. A bassline that rumbles throughout the track leaves plenty of room for the rest of the band to shine. Making sure they get their message across, ‘Slip Into The Leather’ is a politically charged anthem with a standout lyric – “They tell you to pray to keep you on your knees”.
The next track features another slight change in genre. ‘Billionairhead’ is full of grunge guitar riffs and like most of the tracks on Free Milk features a bassline that keeps you hooked. Closing the album is ‘Pill’ and it’s one last burst of intense energy. More riffs fill the track, though this time the drums stand out with a beat that rarely changes.
With Free Milk being in the making for 10 years, Tijuana Bibles have not disappointed. 12 songs and there is not one that you should skip with each track feeding off another and providing something extra. Providing their view on modern Britain, their post-punk sounds are the ideal soundtrack to a bleak country.
