Skinny Knowledge – Don’t Turn out the Lights
Release Date: 5th March 2021
Label: Self Released
Pre-Order
Genre: Alt Rock, Pop Punk.
FFO: Foo Fighters, Green Day, Sum 41.
Review By: Paul Cairney
I have been very drunk in Bournemouth, on numerous occasions, I have been denied entry in Nightclubs, I have stage dived from a knee-high stage in a nightclub, taking out, unsuspecting, dancing revellers in the midriff and I have a friend, he shall remain nameless, who once walked around a hotel wearing a toilet seat as a neckless. These stories may appear to be irrelevant in an album review, however in my experience, Bournemouth is one of the last places I would expect to find a hard rocking band like Skinny Knowledge hailing from.
‘Don’t Turn out the Lights’ is the debut album from Skinny Knowledge, and it is an album that features many hooks that, rather sneakily, attach themselves to your pleasure points, until you find yourself singing the epic closing track ‘Stand Alone’ rather loudly in your morning shower. Maybe that is just me, but there are enough high moments in this album to have you singing your own favourite of the 14 tracks on offer at random points throughout the day.
There are several influences on display throughout the album, from Pop Punk in the form of Green Day and Sum 41, to rock legends Foo Fighters. Although the bio received with the album advising that this album would appeal to fans of The Wildhearts, it is more CJ Wildheart’s solo material that I hear in some of the tracks, especially the vocals of Skinny Knowledge main man Andy L Smooth.
There are a few slower songs on the album, ‘Sayonara’ meanders along until the last 45 seconds where the riff just kills, and it is followed by the piano led ‘Wheel of Love’. Both songs have the effect of softening the impact of the album, meaning that the remaining 5 tracks have to punch harder to recover. Skinny Knowledge just about pull it off. ‘This Time’ is aggressive enough to bring you out of the ballad laden stupor, rescuing Don’t Turn out the Lights from what could have been a mortal wound.
Unfortunately, the album is potentially a few songs too long, the ballad ‘Wheel of Love’ is the longest song on the album and is probably unnecessary, as is the ‘Heavy Metal Interlude’, although it is good for nodding the old head. The main man, Andy L Smooth, is a talented individual, recording the album on his own. Perhaps a kindly hand on his shoulder advising ‘less is more’ would have prevented him teetering on the edge of self-indulgence. Luckily, the album does not fall over the edge. There are enough decent songs to cope with the unnecessary.
The most surprising thing about Don’t Turn out the Lights is the fact that it is self-released, as the band deserve label support. The album is available from the band’s website https://skinnyknowledge.co.uk/ for a mere 10 of our British Pounds and it is very much worth the money. Their website also has some very cool looking merch as well.
Skinny Knowledge have enough about them to leave you wanting more, as long as they cut down the fillers.
(3.5 / 5)
