Guns Are For Kids
Too Much Red Not Enough Red

It’s not the sturdiest construction going, this record. In fact, Too Much Red Not Enough Red spends most of its 26 minutes teetering on the edge of total collapse. Ben The Unclear’s abused guitar violently protests its mistreatment, Reg Artless’s bass lurches drunkenly about and the drums of Reverend Helix Also constantly trip, stumble, right themselves, and start the process all over again. Over the top of this clamour, Oswald Mainstream yelps, bellows and spits, with little to no regard for what any vocal teacher would regard as technique.

None of this should be mistaken for sloppiness, however. Guns Are For Kids are coming from the post-punk/no-wave school of “does this song want to stab me in the eye? I really think this song wants to stab me in the eye!” All their edges are jagged, rusty and blood-stained – not the dull, muffled corners of kids who haven’t yet learnt to play their instruments properly or figured out that standing too close to your amp is only okay some of the time.

Guns Are For Kids have delivered an intriguing and promising debut EP. With its frequent Birthday Party-isms, Too Much Red Not Enough Red should have just enough of that sinister outback ghost town vibe to pique the interest of those who find The Drones more Paul Kelly than Saint Nick. As well, without a disco beat in sight, this might be just the thing to suppress the violent urges of anyone compelled to garrotte the next person who suggests that post-punk begins and ends with Gang Of Four.

by Adam D Mills