Building up a loyal fanbase with three albums and a reputation for their fiercely fun-filled live shows over the last decade, Dorset, UK folk punks Black Water County have today shared their new EP, Second Best, via We Go To 11 Records. Tracing a journey from individual alienation to a shared resistance, each track on the collection explores a different emotional response to the state of society right now: from outrage at the widening gap between rich and poor (Protestify) and the urge to break free from self-consciousness and live boldly (Wreckless), to the instinct to withdraw from the world (People) and, finally, the rediscovery of solidarity as a source of strength (Questions). Whilst a sense of rage and frustration sizzles throughout, the band have lost none of their sparkling joyous energy, showcasing their ability to fuse resonant and timely reflections with their trademark folk punk spirit. Offering an impassioned rallying cry to all who may be feeling demoralised by the world, Second Best offers a much-needed catharsis and message of hope at a time when we need it the most.
Interweaving the fizzing pop-punk energy of the likes of Green Day and The Offspring, with a gritty Celtic-inspired musicality in the vein of Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys, with shades of the lilting folk-strewn spirit of Bellowhead, Second Best exemplifies the band’s ability to channel defiance, camaraderie and catharsis into a perfect fusion of punk passion and folk heart. Recorded at The Ranch Studios near Southampton with powerhouse producer Lewis Johns and longtime friend and collaborator Russ Scagell, Second Best is formed of songs that didn’t quite make the cut for other releases and were put back into the Black Water County back-burner, and are now ready to land on fresh ears; a reminder that things can go full circle, something once discarded might have just been waiting for the right time to be heard. And now is certainly the right time for us all to hear and seek comfort in these seething, empowering reflections.
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