Stars of CCTV - Hard Fi

I really didn't know what to expect when I got this album. I had heard a track and knew that I liked it but really wasn't sure if it would be my kind of thing or not. Within one listen I was hooked and it has earned it's rightful place as an album I just can't get enough of, coming back to it again and again.

Hard Fi are constantly compared to bands like The Clash, The Specials and The Streets and I can see why but that doesn't explain why this album is so special. A complete fusion of rock, pop, ska and some cracking base lines all get jumbled up to make an album that is diverse and infectious. These guys are telling the story of what it is like to be part of the binge drinking inner city youth culture of today. Nothing new in the music world, complaining about where you are from, but the guys seem to do it with a certain flair. Listening to Cash Machine and Stars of CCTV is like looking back into my not so distant past and perhaps that is why I like it so much.

The album was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize this year which I think is fantastic for an album that cost £300 to make in a disused taxi office in Staines. You wouldn't know it though as every track shines in it's own way and together this is just a fantastic debut. My only hope is that their rise to fame doesn't affect their second album too much.