𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗥𝗮𝘆 - 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀

It's probably fair to say that Ed Wenn has been in a few bands, from The Stupids to Bad Dress Sense, Sink, Chocolate, K-Line, Yardman, and now current band Dealing With Damage (and probably a few more that I've missed). But as bands have formed and broken up (and in some cases reformed) the one constant since the early '90s has been Big Ray, a side-project of sorts that once in a while pops up front and centre; the non-punk outlet of a life-long punk.

This is Big Ray's third record from 2002, released on Boss Tuneage Records, and it's my favourite. Excellent opener "Car" is probably the most abrasive track on the album, and doesn't really hint as to what is to come, although the acoustic guitar and backing vocals do take the edge off. But from the gorgeous "Duckpin" onwards, it's clearer what you've got here; a toe-tapping rock/pop album. Over the bulk of the 14 songs (or 18 if you include the secret tracks, thankfully divvied up for the bandcamp version) you're treated to a calm emotional sincerity; an unpretentious laid-bare sang-froid, even on the rockier numbers, epitomised in the wonderful "Mefloquine Dreams" with its ever-so-relatable yet heartbreaking line "You're tired of life, I'm afraid of dying". That's not to say there aren't light-hearted moments, indeed there are, and the balance is spot on. Big Ray's subsequent album came out in 2014, only 12 years after Business Class. Here's hoping we don't have to wait another 6 years until the next one. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 / 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺:

https://big-ray.bandcamp.com/album/business-class