Blaggers Records release The Skinner Brothers new LP, Soul Boy II. Collectively, the release provides a sonic snapshot of young culture in contemporary Britain. The album features numerous fan favourites and live staples that the band have established their reputation with, including ‘Low’, ‘Culture Non-Stop’, ‘Mountain High’ and an acoustic take on ‘Away Days’. But there’s plenty of new music for fans to discover too, whether it’s with the baggy, indie-dance grooves of ‘Way Too Far’, the power-pop bounce of ‘1000 Reasons Why’ or the groove and grit of ‘Give It All To Me’...

There's something familiar and eerily addictive about The Skinner Brothers' new LP, Soul Boy II. The opening track 'Mountain High' is energetic, upbeat and exactly the sort of track you'd expect them to open live sets with in order to whip the audience up into a frenzy.

As the album moved forward it was refreshing to hear a band with a clear style and vision without having to resort to cliches or overly similar song structures throughout.

As I listened to the 13 tracks (37 min, 49 sec) I couldn't help feeling that the band had successfully managed to capture what it's like to live in Britain in the 2020s... yet still, despite that, bring forth a positive, hopeful feeling for a brighter future.

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Nick Smithson