
“An unpredictable, 10-song ride, beset with sudden lane changes and hairpin turns.” – The Guardian/The Observer
“Fun, but fierce; smart, and oppositional: the real deal.” – Snack Magazine
“Uniquely reviving a much loved genre with an angular edginess.” – NARC
“The whole album is packed with snarly vocals, punchy lyrics and moments of the brightest pop.” – Loverboy Magazine
“Current Affairs have both zeitgeist and vocal resonance in singer Joan Sweeney.” – **** MOJO
“Their ’80s noir wave sensibilities (file next to: The Cure, Siouxsie et al) are still present and correct, with the echoing production around vocalist Joan Sweeney’s passionate cries equally attuned to the decade.” – DIY
“Earworm guitar hooks, driving percussion and infectious vocals.” – Record of the Day
“Gets better with every listen” – Steve Lamacq, BBC 6 Music
Six years on from the release of that first perfect demo tape, Glasgow/Berlin four piece Current Affairs finally emerge with their debut album, Off The Tongue. That cassette and the couple of singles that immediately followed it were so finally attuned to a particularly sharp DIY sensibility they instantly felt like lost recordings from the original golden era, an uniquely authentic and distinct channelling of post-punk energy that made as much sense at New River Studios or DIY Space for London (RIP) as it did on the radio.
Despite the significant time that separates then from now, Off The Tongue shows they’ve lost none of their vibrancy. If anything, they’re a much better unit, coiled and wired, endlessly restless guitars aiming for the redline but never at the expense of melody, hitting a sweet-spot between the taut gestures of Pylon, the artschool smarts of first-three-albums Wire and the hyperactive glamour of Siouxsie. There’s clearly no deadwood here, each member an adept and inventive player, but they’re helped no end by vocalist Joan Sweeney’s forthright testifying, a fully committed singer who leaves nothing on the stage.
Breathless, unapologetic, razorsharp and right on – hard to think what more you can expect from a ‘punk’ band in 2023. Glasgow: Once again, the eternal hot spot.
Off The Tongue is available digitally, on CD and as a limited red vinyl pressing, in an edition of 600. Stream/buy/download Off The Tongue here


