Reviews

Black and White We Make the Standards and We Make the Rules LP

Japanese punkers BLACK AND WHITE have come out with their second LP. Quickly looking at the record jacket, I saw the year 1978 above the label info and was very confused—boy, were they ahead of their time! “What a great reissue,” I thought! Upon some research, I assume this is an homage to ’70s British punk rock that they admit to loving in their online album description, as We Make the Standards and We Make the Rules came out this year, our unholy 2024. Distractions aside, you can definitely hear UK ’78 of the Oi! varietal, maybe the COCKNEY REJECTS mixed with off-kilter TOY DOLLS flourishes and speed. Lots of whole-band harmonies and chants, particularly on the B-side’s “Don’t Think Twice” that opens with a great, cutting guitar riff and roils into the super catchy chorus of “Don’t think twice / It’s alright”—admittedly and DYLAN rip-off, but this song is great. High-energy and endless fun, no downers in sight here, folks.