Looking at the band’s press text, we are dealing with four men who find themselves very funny and advocate a rather shallow sense of humor at times. “Anyone who can find a rhyme for Kamasutra must have some pretty big balls!” A little addition: So we are dealing with four men who are not only “extremely funny” but also have “big balls.” Good to know. Unfortunately, the BORRACHOS are not a satire-humor band of the EISENPIMMEL caliber, but rather a band that takes itself quite seriously and occasionally tries to express social and societal criticism in their new release.
From the first listen, I notice that the BORRACHOS have changed since their last mp3 long-player release “Punkrock für lau.” First of all, “Bombs for Peace” sounds very clean, professional, and thus nicely hits the stomach area (it might have been the same with “Punkrock für lau,” but I can’t remember). Additionally, the band has definitely taken a good step forward; the lyrics fortunately no longer all sound like they came from the diary of a mentally challenged 16-year-old, but have, in parts, a decent claim (off the top of my head, I remember a song from “Punkrock für lau” with the chorus “I’ll be a porn star just like grandpa – fucking in front of the camera is awesome” … I think I can leave that uncommented). The songwriting has also become more refined. The songs sound mostly very melodious with small, fine solos and varied parts when quickly listened to. It’s also nice that the band adorns itself with the DIY label, which hopefully means that they have acquired the knowledge of professional recording, mixing, and mastering through painstaking home work.
Content-wise, the album is disappointing. The first song of the album, titled “Bombs for Peace,” is a stringing together of stereotypes. Bankers are stupid - RTL too - the industry sells us all for fools - racism will continue - priests will still fuck little children - ... And yet everyone remains silent. But tadaa: Here come the BORRACHOS, who will redeem us all, because they throw “bombs for peace.” They shake us all up. Show their colors. Raise their fists. Send the wrongdoers the bill. Olé olé olé! I’m bold enough to dismiss that with a smile. Especially when I look at how the band presents itself online. I find nothing of that world-improving attitude there.
After that flashy introduction, the band returns to the style I remember from “Punkrock für lau” starting with song 2 (“Everything I Can”). Fun punk. No more and no less. Lyrics about how the singer is too stupid for everything except playing in a punk band / that everyday problems prevent you from being what you want to be (“You’d love to be like Che Guevara - rebelling instead of masturbating”) / that Kevin is a good boy but comes from a different background and therefore has no chance in society (aha, again some socially critical tones) / that you should stay true to yourself (song “Type Me”) / that she wants to buy shoes, but he wants to have a “ride for three” with her and her sister (song “Ride for Three”)...
Yeah, I know it, I’ve heard it, I don’t want to hear it anymore: “Who you want to be, only you know ... You wish you could be someone else ...” (chorus song “Desertion”). There are really better quotes in my kitchen calendar or in any Chinese fortune cookie (Would that be an idea for a band: set fortune cookie texts to music?!). At least some songs that attempt to be taken seriously can be found on the album, such as the socially critical “Zweitausenddrölf” or the church-critical “God’s Children.”
The BORRACHOS have definitely developed since “Punkrock für lau,” have become a bit (!) more mature, the songwriting is now more refined, and pretty melodies and solos await. If they now also follow this musical development with a tutoring course in “Writing Lyrics,” then I’m looking forward to the next album. For free, I can still listen to the mp3 album. In the long run, it won’t be in my playlist. It’s simply too uninspired and flat for me. Even the non-fun punk songs barely meet the status of cliché punk songs. Okay, there was one song that made me smile. With “From the Diary of a Cowboy” (I wonder if the title is borrowed from the ärzte, “From the Diary of a Rampager”?) the band shows that they can indeed have a sense of humor. It’s a pity that with a band that fills half the album with fun punk songs, only one song is amusing. That bands can be funny without being embarrassing is proven time and again by CHEFDENKER, for example. I feel sorry for my storage space on my PC and I will delete “Bombs for Peace” right away.
But what is surely best: Don’t rely on my judgment, but listen for yourself: http://punkrock.borrachos.de
Recommended track: “Type Me”
Delete recommendation: “Ride for Three”
