Album review: HEALTHY JUNKIES – Listen To The Mad

Banana Castle Records [Release date 22.11.24] www.healthyjunkies.co.uk

With the success of the 2024 Olympics the French must be feeling rather proud. A band with a French female singer might now have a distinct advantage. But Nina Courson is no Celine Dion.

Healthy Junkies are psych pop punkers of the first order. At times it feels like being back in CBGB’s c.1979. In truth all fourteen songs might be a contemporary re-tread of times (and bands) past but there is enough energy (and variety) here to impress. The band have previously released three albums and several EPs.

The band are now veterans of the annual ‘Rebellion Punk Festival’ (where they have appeared since 2012) but have also brought their high energy pop punk to The Whitby Goth Festival (2017) and Corrosion Festival supporting Toyah (2024).

‘Self Conscious’ is a great example of their art whilst ‘Desire’ has a grungey goth/psychedelic feel which offers tasty respite from the frenetic. Ditto ‘Media Whore’ and ‘World On Fire’. The goth vibe is also reflected on ‘Dead Souls’ which brings to mind early 1990s All About Eve and Gene Loves Jezebel.

The band do mix things up with ‘Son And A Daughter’ having a reggae-style backbeat and a memorable chorus. ‘Julie’s Got A Job’, ‘Now Or Never’, ‘Tinnitus’ and ‘Lion In A Circus’ return the band to the straight-ahead pop post-punk.

With the echo-ey vocals and psychedelic undertow, ‘Listen To The Mad’ might even appeal to fans of Blues Pills or followers of the Fruits de Mer record label who we regularly promote on our radio station. Guitarist Phil Honey-Jones was formerly in a psychedelic rock band which may explain the band’s approach. On this album they are joined by “new”drummer David Gaut with original bassist Dave Whitmore completing the line-up.

Party like its 1980. ****

Review by David Randall

Healthy Junkies launch the album at The Dublin Castle, Camden, Wednesday 20 November.

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