This digital-only release is a 10-track live album from Whangarei three-piece Wavepig, which consists of singer/vocalist Manuel Springford, bassist Matt Shepherd and drummer Ben Michelsen. Wavepig is a strange jump, with some of the band members formerly involved with Whangarei blues act The Limit and Auckland country/bluegrass band The Broadsides.

The name, and the general self description of ‘slop-covered punk’ seem appropriate – at times the band sounds raw and dirty. The album is very much a surf ‘n turf of punk as it has a bit of everything in there for fans of the genre, with a song like Open Space sounding very melodic/pop punky, reminiscent of Blink 182 and Sum 41. Others like Jockey Skants and Dads Rule give off a more classic hardcore punk feel with the same sort of vibe as you might get from a Black Flag record. The first two tracks both open with a driving bass riff and throughout the remainder of the album the bass remains prominent. The guitar parts are what you’d expect of a good punk record, thrashing power chords, and lots of them. The drums are one of the reasons that this holds together so well and stays tight throughout, Michelsen’s simple but intricate playing shining through in most songs. The sound is of a high standard, polished whilst still giving that lo-fi, DIY garage punk feel. Overall the album is a good display of simple yet effective songwriting – a good punk record with plenty of attitude.

Live from the Pigpen by Wavepig