Headsticks: The Best Thing On TV
Out Now
CD | Vinyl | DL | Streaming
Back with their fifth studio album, Headsticks plead that you don’t spoil the apocalypse as it’s the best thing on TV. Neil Crud turns on, tunes in and doesn’t cop out.
And right now, The Best Thing on TV is the best thing on my PC (well, turntable actually). It’s an album that feels both like a warning and a celebration, a chronicle of collapse set to the sound of defiance. Yes, the narrative here is geared toward the end of our so-called civilisation, but more than that, it captures the spirit of resistance, resilience, and truth-telling in a world running low on all three.
For those unfamiliar, Headsticks are a genre-defying band from Staffordshire who’ve been stirring up the UK underground with their excellent blend of punk energy, folk storytelling, and rock grit since 2012. Often labelled as “folk-punk,” they stand miles apart from much of the genre. Where many acts offer reheated anthems about struggle and solidarity, Headsticks deliver something far more real. Their music doesn’t feel like an obligation – it feels like an outlet, a lifeline, a weapon.
I find a lot of the folk-punk scene tiresome – bands ticking the boxes of rebellion with empty songs and throwaway lyrics, filling festival slots with singalongs that feign unity. It’s as if they’re trying to convince us we’re all in it together (we’re not). Headsticks don’t fall into that trap. Instead, they raise their dirty, empty glass to you and to peace, liberty, and all the other things that never quite come true. There’s no pretence here- just hard-earned truth often delivered with a smile, melody, and passion.
The Best Thing on TV is their fifth studio album, and it’s nothing short of a triumph. The songs are meticulously crafted, with great production, from the sharp lyrical content to the thoughtful arrangements, all the way down to the artwork and the choice of vinyl in three different colours. This is a work of art. And more importantly, it’s a work of honesty.
A highlight among highlights is Keyboard Warriors, a biting takedown of online bravado and armchair outrage, taking aim at those who shout the loudest behind a screen and do the least in real life. The song’s message hits home, but it’s the brilliant use of the iconic Warriors movie sample – ‘Warriors, come out to play!’ – that elevates it to instant classic status. It’s confrontational, clever, and oddly fun, a perfect snapshot of the band’s sharp edge and cultural awareness.
Then there’s There’s No One Left, a rousing, acoustic track that strips things back without losing any power. Evoking the spirit of Mike Peters and The Alarm, the song aches with loss and reflection: ‘There’s no one left to dance around the fires we used to light.’ It’s a moment of quiet devastation and beauty, reminding us what’s been lost along the way, and what still might be salvaged.
Although we are barely civilised, The Best Thing on TV epitomises what and who we collectively are – and what we ‘normal’ people are up against. It’s not just an album; it’s a reminder, a mirror, and a warning. It’s music for the times we live in, made by people who are living in them, feeling every moment of struggle and still managing to turn it into something vital.
We had best buy some shares in the afterlife, because if this is the soundtrack to the end, at least we’re going out singing something that matters.
You can find Headsticks online at https://headsticks.co.uk/.
They are also on Instagram as @headsticks.
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