You
Should All Be Ashamed of Yourselves
‘You Should All Be Ashamed of Yourselves’ takes aim
at the complacency and chaos of modern life and mixes it with razor-sharp
social commentary. It's the first album from Paul Hooper-Keeley under his own
moniker, ‘PHK’, and he delivers it with both barrels with 12 tracks and one
hidden surprise.
With nods to his Mod, Garage and Power pop roots, each track
offers a carefully penned critique of modern life packaged in a sharp
collection of tunes that hold up a mirror to the modern world. Musically think
The Prisoners mixed with shades of XTC. This is Mod revivalism all grown
up.
“What is wrong with your life that isn’t right
That you have to troll us on a Saturday night”
he writes in 'Social Media Psychopath'
or this caustic reference to a character on the Mod scene:
“You are just a Walter Mitty, I suppose I should feel
pity
We know you have never been, a real part of our scene
You appeared from nowhere, but you tried to say that you
were there
Your history is more flaky than me old Nan’s puff pastry”
Sharp, sardonic and observant, PHK tackles hypocrisy,
political posturing and everyday absurdities with wit and bite. Other tracks
such as 'Music Industry Conspiracy' point the finger at the cynical
machinery of fame itself. As someone who has continued to support independent
music for over four decades, PHK has every right to have a go.
Elsewhere, ‘Fears of a Clown’ is a play on the Smokey
Robinson classic but instead explores insecurity and image in a world obsessed
with judgement; ‘The Luvvies Brigade’ lampoons the self-serving elite
south of Watford Gap and ‘Battle of the Little Big Man’ exposes the
fragile egos behind empty authority - we all know one!
Paul plays almost every instrument on this album, drawing
together decades of experience into a record that captures both the energy of
his early years with the perspective and wisdom of someone looking back over his
long career on the Mod circuit.
In Lincolnshire in 1982 as a young Mod of the revival era he
formed his first band, The Threads - a hard-gigging Mod/Garage outfit whose
Rickenbacker-driven tunes and sharp attire earned them a loyal following.
Away from The Threads, Paul continued to support independent
music through his labels Biff Bang Pow Records and Burnt Toast Music
Publishing. Over the years he’s supported countless artists, organising the
all-star Mod Aid 20 charity single, and fronted bands including The Deep Six
and The Mark Three. His work as a songwriter, musician and producer has
remained consistently true to his roots - honest, melodic, and fiercely
independent.
This solo album marks yet another chapter in a career
defined by that independence and integrity.
After all, PHK is not a number. He’s a free man.
Claire Mahoney
Editor
Detail magazine
