Apologies, I Have None

Sat in Vicky Park b/w Joiners & Windmills [7 inch] (2010)

Zack Shapiro

The new seven-inch from English (British?) punks, Apologies, I Have None, breathes with the feeling of a band that's coming into their own, discovering their sound. The size of their wolf pack has effectively doubled since their last release, Two Sticks & Six Strings. With former part-time drummer Josh McKenzie moving to guitar and the addition of PJ Shepherd on bass and Joe Watson on drums, their music is noticeably fuller. Apologies is the band that drank their milk; they're growing up strong.

In "Joiners & Windmills," singer Dan Bond wrestles his screaming vocals into something more manageable than what he has shown in the past. The song is structured well; it's catchy and the stuttering guitar paired with a matching snare in the chorus will have listeners strumming the air as they listen.

"Sat in Vicky Park" is a song about beating the ranks of being a low-level worker and coming to terms with manhood against the reflections of sexual partners, paychecks and the paths we take in life. The song is full of strong lines, words that could become mantras. From a remark that Bond realizes he should have learned long ago ("The worst mistake to make is to be afraid to make mistakes") to something more people should take to heart ("numbers on a payslip are no indication of worth"), the guys in Apologies, I Have None have a lot to say.

The seven-inch ends in a line borrowed from Grade, shouted and echoed by multiple members of the Apologies: "My relationship with reality, it comes and goes."

My one complaint is about how poorly "Vicky Park" and the seven-inch end. As the borrowed line repeats, they reintroduce the chorus overtop and while at times it works, other times the lyrics are muddled and incomprehensible.

In the end, the thing to take away is a simple thought expressed beautifully: "Sometimes what it takes is just to listen to what you say and try to hear it, try to feel it."