The Cigarettes You Were So Young 2xLP
Finally, all the material from this lovely post-punk band from Lincoln, England has been compiled into one release. Despite the CIGARETTES only being around for a few years between 1978-81, they explored an impressive range of sounds and influences. There’s the harder, rougher songs like the opener “They’re Back Again Here They Come” and of course the banger “You Were So Young”’ that remind me of ’70s Aussie punk like RAZAR and the VICTIMS. Then there’s the more pop-punk tracks that sound like they could be love songs if it weren’t for the scathing lyrics that wittily poke fun at Capitalist ideals like the nuclear family and the rise of consumerism. A couple of the tracks really don’t need to be there but perhaps there are some fans out there who would appreciate them. Listening to their discography it’s obvious they were a smart band, dedicated to a DIY approach similar to DESPERATE BICYCLES and ART ATTACKS. The release is made up of the band’s two singles, unreleased tracks they had planned for their third single, tracks from a local compilation and the recordings from their John Peel session. Packaged up nicely with a poster, badge and sticker—what a treat!