Johnny Rotten’s Turning in His Bed: SOFT PLAY - HEAVY JELLY (2024)

Tobias Partington

All things bright and beautiful… is immediately catapulted into self-detrimental screaming on behalf of vocalist/drummer Isaac Holman, identifying himself ironically as the definition of such. Punk’s Dead is another example of SOFT PLAY pushing themselves forward as the face of modern punk. It bears resemblance IDLES’ GREAT if it appeared on a Royal Blood album - a satirical jab at the right wing’s obsession with being anti-P.C., and a response to the reception received following the duo’s name change (formerly named Slaves). “Snowflake, snowflake, cherries on the woke cake.” Distorted baby cries, and a pleasant play-on-words with Johnny Rotten as the subject, emphasise the song’s true irony.

Act Violently has Kasabian-like backing vocals juxtaposing the energetic shouting, and Isaac Is Typing… tackles the ever-present issue of internet activity at the hands of the endemic online incels. Bin Juice Disaster continues the self-detriment with comparisons of the narrator’s life to several apocalyptic and disaster cinema classics such as Jurassic Park, Armageddon… and Home & Away.

John Wick, a testament to Keanu’s hitman alias is strewn with metaphorical violence, while Mirror Muscles and other tracks across the album are reminiscent of stoner rock riffs found on 1990s albums by Kyuss and Fu Manchu. SOFT PLAY repeatedly acknowledge different aspects of popular culture and don’t shy away from name-dropping everyone from Johnny Rotten and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

HEAVY JELLY is scattered with quiet excerpts of polite Kinks-English sing-song throughout the album, which offers a sharp contrast that welds itself pleasantly to the vocalist’s screams, topped off by the occasional violin, of course. All in all, this seems like a PSA to mainly acknowledge the name change, but it’s consistent and worth the listen.