Hold on It's Easy

The 20th anniversary of a landmark album is something most bands take pains to celebrate, traditionally with some kind of reissue packed with rarities, reminiscences, and fanfare. Not Ben Ayres and Tjinder Singh, the reliably iconoclastic lads of Cornershop. Not only are they two years late in paying tribute to Hold on It Hurts, on 2015's Hold on It's Easy they reimagine their energetic blast of riot boy rock & roll as a swinging '60s big-band album, played with all the smarmy joy they and their crew of brass, winds, and percussion can conjure up. Working with the Elastic Big Band, the pride of Preston, Lancashire under the direction of Alan Gregson, Cornershop turn the punky, anger-fueled album into something defiantly square, far more Henry Mancini swing than Kathleen Hanna sass. It's hard to say why they thought it was a good idea, but somehow it works to demystify the band further and prove that they really are up for anything. Whether it's the cheesy lounge lizard disco of "Born Disco; Died Heavy Metal," the silly knees up of "The New York Minute," or the TV theme funk of "You Always Said My Language Would Get Me into Trouble," Cornershop sound like they are having a literal blast sending up the album, the band's history, and the idea of rock & roll in general. Sure, most fans of the duo will reach for the original album 9.99 times out of ten, but it's hard to look askance at the playful spirit behind the album and the thoroughness of Cornershop's complete deconstruction of one of their career highlights. ~ Tim Sendra