Travis Cut are one of those special UK bands with such enthusiasm and excitement for the music they play that, despite their underground status, the last eight years of their existence has probably been more eventful than most of the UK punk bands put together.

Whether it’s travelling to Washington DC to record their album with their punk rock hero Dave Smalley at the legendary Inner Ear studios, appearing on Channel 4, touring Japan, recording 2 sessions with John Peel or experiencing very Spinal Tap drummer problems these London boys are the colloquial proof of the pudding that DIY punk can mean much more than just putting out a record and playing gigs.

_ ‘Shambles’_ (maybe so-called due to the problems surrounding it’s intended release last year) is another glorious batch of pop punk treats with that unique Travis Cut edge. Songs like ‘Back To Front’ & ‘Easy Come Easy Go’ exemplify exactly why they’ve been a firm favourite on many a punker’s stereo over the years. However, that said, I have to say there’s something lacking from previous releases. It may be the production or something but their Dag Nasty/ Snuff style seems to have fallen short of the standard set on their debut ‘Seventh Inning Stretch’ album. That’s not to say this is a bad record – I just expected something a bit more progressive from their previous efforts.