Zounds gained a reputation on the underground punk movement in the early 80s. Lumped into the anarcho-punk scene they released a string of independent singles and an album, 'The Curse of Zounds', hanging out and touring Europe and the UK with bands like Crass, The Mob and Poison Girls they gained a bit of an underground following before mainman Steve Lake became disillusioned with the scene and disbanded. Reclusive Steve Lake has intermittently resurfaced with Zounds over the years and now he returns with a new line-up and a new album. Recorded at weekends in a printworks, it keeps faithful to those early days of recording, pretty much live and as a three piece, backed up by Paul 'Overdose' O'Donnel on bass and Paul Gilbert on drums. It's a very DIY affair as many small time punk albums of the time were. It comes wrapped in some snazzy artwork depicting images of hoodies and chavs mixing with toffs and coppers around Stonehenge.

'Cry Genie Cry' lifts the riff from Bowie's 'The Jean Genie' to good effect, lyrically it seems Steve does not know where he fits into this world of today - "I still don't know what I'm supposed to be", hell who does? The guitars are muffled yet jangly, mixed with Steve Lake's drunken-sounding drawl it retains the feel of those old school 'New Wave' albums.

'Supermarche' has a great, familiar sounding riff, with some nice backing "whoa-ohs", 'Another Roadside Attraction' is interesting, basic politics and world issues from a child's perspective. 'What Makes A Man Today' sounds like a lost Mick Jones tune. The vocals struggle at times to stay vaguely in tune but overall it works and has a certain charm that maybe the older punk rockers amongst us would understand.

The songs are political in a simple way, more an observation and not rammed down your throat. Not so much raging against the machine, more mumbling and scratching your head at it. The album has a nostalgic feel to it then, if you remember or like anyone from The Adverts to The Undertones and all the new wave style bands inbetween, 'The Redemption Of Zounds' could well rock your world.

www.myspace.com/zounds