Wonk Unit. Good ol’ Wonk Unit. One of the few UK bands who are genuinely hard to categorise and can be hard to understand. Basically, they’re a bit weird, but in a good way.
Essentially, Wonk Unit are a punk rock band but the feature that sets them apart from the pack is frontman Alex Johnson’s way with words. Lyrically, Wonk’s album is filled with repetitive mantras; poetic bursts of out-there lyrical imagery. Case in point: “Nan”, which features the lyrical refrain of “Nan is old / pisses with the door open / stares at my friends / laughs when her grandson gives her a hug”. Somehow, though, the repetitive nature of the lyrics only serves to enhance them as opposed to bore you and you’ll quickly find yourself singing along.
Three albums into their career and Wonk Unit are still the energetic, exciting and downright enthralling band they’ve always been. A true stand out in the UK punk scene.
– Ian Perry