Released on 19th September 2011, reviewed by Francesca Baker
One of my favourite things about The Subways has always been their unfailing optimism, relentless youthful vigour and somewhat naive hope. Now that Billy and Charlotte, the childhood sweethearts who must have always made drummer Josh feel like a spare wheel, are no more, it’s good to see that their sunny outlook on life remains, albeit whipped into shape with a venomous snarling take on the failings of the world. Whilst the tonsil tennis may have stopped, the deft vocal rallying continues, burning and building on the chunky swagger of the bass lines that are fuelled by relentless drumming.
We Don’t Need Money To Have A Good Time is a one line manifesto for both the content and creation of latest album Money and Celebrity. Although the songs stick with the tried and proven formula of three guitar chords and distortion pedals isn’t messed with, but the usual need to suck off an industry exec to get a record funded when your not flavour of the month was negated by using the direct-to-fan platform Pledge Music, where fans donated money for the recording (and Clic Sargent and The National Autistic Society) in return for exclusive invites and involvement in The Subways world.
It won’t change the world, it isn’t an experimentation in music – it is an electrifying blast. And that’s why I love it.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYru9VCXSl0]
