You can trace the roots of punk back a long way, and that's usually down to sound alone. Sure, there were proto-punk acts tackling the various issues of the day, but the same happened with other genres. It wasn't until the initial wave of UK punk bands and those that followed in their wake that the genre became synonymous with social unrest, a lack of hope for young people and the shambles of our political system. Naturally, the most obvious examples are The Clash and The Sex Pistols, but there were far more who never achieved their level of success. West Sussex group The Suburban Homes are essentially torchbearers for that movement, and while they may not be the only band with something to say, they make it seem sharp and angry again.
It's likely that the title of 'Conformity In The UK' was inspired by the Pistols' 'Anarchy...', although this isn't what they're asking for, rather what they're observing happen: "conformity in the UK, it'll never be OK". If you're still questioning their position, then lines like "it's apparently a great time to be alive, but I can't afford to live in a house, I can't find a job to save my life" should clear matters up. All this is done to a simple riff that has a '60s garage feel along with the sparseness of early Violent Femmes. On the flip is 'Television Spies', which again has '60s undertones to go with its angry, blunt vocal which talks about the constant surveillance that our governments subject us to. If, for some reason they need to, they'll be able to find out that you've read this article in an instant, along with where you were at the time and the device you pulled it up on. Is this a great time to be alive, or are we more vulnerable than ever? The Suburban Homes have their opinions, and it's difficult to argue.
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