There I was listening to this album – “Vigilantibus” by Reaction – and I started to wonder what was wrong. Then I realised that, due to listening to too much Mozart in recent days, I had failed to crank the volume up far enough. So that’s what I did.
With that problem duly corrected, my critical facilities could then be targeted at this new album from those long established Airdrie reprobates called Reaction. A lot of time may have passed since the halcyon days of 1977 yet this band don’t sound like they are about to fade away gracefully and, even if time has rounded off a few more of their rough edges, they have no problem delivering just what you would expect of them. No doubt also due to the passing of time, their songs have now crept over the three minute mark but I can report that there is still more than enough of that raucous joie de vivre that made punk special to last all the way through this album.
Your neighbours won’t thank you for playing “Vigilantibus” at four in the morning and eleven on the volume but, hey, what’s another ASBO between friends?
Best Song: The full on “Stay Pretty”.
Verdict: Reaction won’t ever play dead.