The Moron Agenda - ForCoalcliff

Wed 10th May, 2006 in Music Reviews

Record labels – who needs them? In this ever-increasing topsy-turvy world of making and breaking (and exploiting) artists it’s refreshing to find bands that stay true to themselves and doesn’t necessarily fit the generic musical mould. Of course the problem lies in those bands that don’t wear the fashion label of the month and play in dingy pubs will a lot of the times be overlooked by record execs.

And so enter The Moron Agenda, straight outta ‘The Shire’. Born out of frustration and thus falling under the general genre of punk. Just like all up-and-coming bands it’s necessary to put the word out there: thanks to a phenomenon called MySpace all artists now have the ability to make themselves heard, the Moron Agenda being no exception. In fact, so keen are they to spread their love they offer FREE copies of their albums to punters. But is it any good?

Opener ‘The Nigel Factor’ starts off melodic enough to make you think that this could be another disposable emo track but soon bursts forth from its seams as Adam Moron yells ‘Go!’’ drums pounding, guitars chugging: a track reminiscent of such bands as After The Fall and In The Grey. The quieter parts of guitar interludes are juxtaposed with gravel voiced-lyrics such as “The enemy keeps closing in on me”.

It’s not hard to find the meaning behind tracks such as ‘Red Light Scarlet Woman’ and ‘The Death of Fashion’ with their socio-political undertones and general dismay of fashion fads. Upon first glance it appears that these lads are an evolved pub rock band, but delve into the lyrics, like when Adam roars, “The clothes you wear, the clothes you wear, the shitty way you cut your hair” might be an indication of what they are rebelling about in their own little way.

There’s the obligatory quieter track ‘Back In The Day’, with acoustic guitars aplenty that could almost make you think they channelled a surfy/Jack Johnson / Incubus spectre. Things get fast and loud (as it were) on closer ‘Bloodstains’, A gritty two minute track with plenty of shouting and primal rage.

Truth be told, there’s a lot of bands out there that has a similar sound, and the Moron Agenda proudly wear their influences on their sleeve. This record won’t change your life but it is a refreshing twist to a well-worn genre. After headlining Sydney’s Spectrum and opening for the likes of The Hard-Ons, The Moron Agenda is on the up. And for the cost of a self-addressed envelope you can’t help but appreciate their grass roots marketing campaign. Check out The Moron Agenda at www.myspace.com/themoronagenda to get a free copy of For Coalcliff.