Chubby And The Gang - The Mutt’s Nuts

As could probably be extrapolated from the record’s title alone, one thing ‘The Mutt’s Nuts’ does well is evoke an approximation of ‘70s pub rock. Like much of that era, Chubby and the Gang’s second rattles along, driven by singer Charlie Manning Walker’s visceral vocals. They‘ve got all the diction of Joey Ramone - and the distinct air they’re about to ask you outside for a punch-up. It’s a vibe. There are also echoes of ‘80s hardcore: ‘Overachiever’, ‘Someone’s Gonna Die’ and ‘Lightning Don’t Strike Twice’ could have emerged from either side of the Atlantic. It’s not all high-octane though: closer ‘I Hate The Radio’ has a distinct mid-paced jangle to it, ‘Life’s Lemons’ veers on the (bitter)sweet, and there’s a sense the wistful ‘Take Me Home To London’ is placed in the middle so as to act as a breather. But there’s the crux: the record is not quite so relentless that it needs a pause, and at points feels as if it should move up a pace, decibel or pitch instead of the opposite way.