Inflammable Material // Stiff Little Fingers
Where definitive punk albums are concerned, there’s one record that springs to mind a little quicker than any other: the gritty powerhouse that is Inflammable Material.
In their tumultuous debut, Irish band Stiff Little Fingers proved that they were able to seamlessly balance the raw edge of punk sound with both political depth and subtle emotion, with songs such as Bob Marley tribute ‘Johnny Was’ and the borderline slanderous ‘Rough Trade’ towering above any other.
For me though, it’s ‘Rough Trade’ in particular that strikes the listener as a true punk classic. Combining simplistic lyrical wit, heavy handed bursts of vocal power and the equally as biting guitar accompaniment, the finished article is nothing less than a war cry against unfairness in the music industry.
Through the power of provocative songs such as these, Inflammable Material must hence be dubbed as one of the truly immortal punk records.
Words by Emily Ingram