The Ex
Issue #25
Singles. Period. (Touch and Go)
By AK Gold
Published: September 1st, 2005 | 1:30pm
The Ex, the often name-checked Dutch punk outfit formed in 1979, recorded 23 singles between 1980 and 1990. However, it is only with the release of Singles. Period. that these songs are readily available to North Americans for the first time.
Album-opener "Human Car" is a three-chord speedfest that sounds like the first punk-rock song any kid who picks up a guitar would write. Filled with snared assertions like, "They tell me where to go / they tell me what to do," G.W. Sok's ire-laden lyrics rebel against the noisy, repetitive, dirty, and numbing sounds of guitars, drums, and bass making his struggle sound both honest and elemental.
On the far-from-nuanced political assessments with virtually indecipherable lyrics, "Stupid Americans" and "Weapons for El Salvador," Sok manages to deliver derisive messages over tension-filled, danceable beats and have no trouble conveying the general sentiment (namely Americans and giving weapons to El Salvador are stupid) even if the details are lost amidst a furious slur of words.
However, as the track numbers and years tick by on Singles. Period., the rudimentary style that makes these early recordings so engaging and addictive gives way to the less interesting, less raw band that — as they describe — interweaves "noise, folk, jazz and ethnic music, under one unique umbrella." So while Singles. Period. is a reminder of punk's power and The Ex's ability to channel it, the record also exposes how difficult it is to maintain that power for a decade.
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The Ex's official Web site
The Ex's Myspace page
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