Hometown is the debut album from Wrexham’s finest punk band The No Name Janes. At 14 tracks long, it could be viewed as containing too many songs, but ultimately this doesn’t matter because it holds your interest from start to finish (and besides, not a single one hits the three minute mark anyway)!
Starting things off with the massively catchy I’ve Been Misled, which you’ll swiftly find yourself singing along to before you even know what’s hit you, the band then continue to power through some utterly fantastic and memorable pieces. Punk is a genre where it is extremely easy for entire albums to consist of identical-sounding songs, but Hometown really goes against the mould and each track has its own distinct feel, which is some feat considering there’s 14 of them – and it’s such a breath of fresh air.
It seems apt that the strongest track of the album is also the title track, and Hometown is just over two minutes of perfection. Fast-paced and made to be performed live, with chants at the start begging out for crowd participation and plenty of sing-along moments, it stands out from the crowd and really packs a punch.
Something that can be horribly cheesy is when a band includes their own name in their songs, but thankfully this isn’t the case with Violet Is Blue and actually works pretty well! The section at the end with the repeated lyrics of “hey Jane, what’s your name? You got no name, you’re No Name Jane” jumps out at you and is very striking, which makes for an extremely memorable song – and it really worms its way into your head as a result.
The No Name Janes have hit the nail on the head with Hometown and have delivered an awesome album that contains all killer and no filler. It’s a wonderfully accessible album and is a great offering from the up-and-coming band. Make sure you check them out – the album can be bought from here.
10/10
