Bob Vylan – Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life Review

Presenting the price of life as the clear problem it is, Bob Vylan storms through with some peppered charms of hardcore punk. Wordplay is the most important part of political commentary in music, and Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life is a shining example of how to work it well. From jabbing at Margaret Thatcher and asking her where that milk got to in opening track Wicked and Bad to the intensity found in the instrumentation surrounding the hip-hop form, there are echoes of IDLES within this third album from an enraged artist firing through with political charms on a foundation of hardcore punk energy.

Rejecting the usual idols on Take That and following it up with the horror of needing cash for the basic qualities on Health is Wealth, the obvious connotations are appreciated. Bob Vylan are angry, raging against the wave of indifference with lyrics that pull no punches and hope to engage, more than anything. Criticism of an obvious and clear variety, that is the key to Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life. This is a presentation. It is an understanding of troubles that affect those listening, and those that will not. Health is Wealth is a grand and basic song that should leave no surprise in its lyrics, but the instrumental pacing and the delivery from the Bob Vylan duo are astounding. Their ability to shift from the hardcore scene to the stripped-back, message-driven moments is a great mix and fluid.

Pertinent it may be for Vylan to muse on the troubles of linking wealth with health, it does bridge that punk art to the political sphere extremely well. Must Be More has that deep, dark riff holding the lyrics of gluttony up as a scathing criticism from Vylan. Pretty Songs gives an indicator that Vylan understands not just what he intends to do with his lyrical simplicity, but what his audiences should expect. Anger and rage spill over and the best way to get to the roots of that is to give in to whatever comes to mind. “Something to play on the day show,” as Pretty Songs rejects the notion of commercialism in music. Rightly so, and Turn Off The Radio follows up with the worrying spin of pop music and the hurting country listening so keenly in to white noise. Vylan is as provocative as he is engaged with the problems not just of the country, but of how people are propping it up with passive listening.

Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life is as furious as it is accurate. The duo displays a sincere understanding of fighting for survival in a corrupted country failing to deal with its past or future in a grim present. Charting that with punk rock rage and a rejection of everything from radio accessibility to the hypocrisy of listeners is as intense as expected. Although Bobby Vylan’s vocal presence and guitar work is the prominent statement made on each track, something like Bait the Bear gives Bobbie Vylan some time to shine with a heavy set of crashing beats, laid down to back up the rage against a cultural indifference found at the top, somewhere Bob Vylan have no interest in heading. Regardless of feeling, this is a historic piece of work. Historic etches of a self-produced album hitting the charts, it is clear to see why it did.