You’ve got to love what Wap Shoo Wap Records is doing, making authentic punk feel dangerous and cool again. There’s a reason people all over the globe are paying attention to Dutch bands like The Covids, Sick Shooters, and Savage Beat. Automatic Lovers may be from Madrid, but they fit the label’s ethos to a tee. Just look at the band name. Look at the sleeve. You already know what kind of ride this is.

And plenty of you already do, since the band’s debut single disappeared of the market fast last year.

Their self-titled debut LP brings nine originals and two covers, High Degree by Next and Pushin’ Too Hard by The Vibrators. I had a pretty good idea what to expect, but I was still struck by the hard edge of this thing. Automatic Lovers skip the cute stuff and go straight for the ass kicking. The touchstones are The Vibrators, Slaughter & The Dogs, The Boys, and Sonny Vincent.

Underneath the grit, though, there’s melody and rhythm running through these songs. You just have to lean in a little. I have no doubt you will. Buy the LP at Wap Shoo Wap or Spanish label Folc Records.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp (Wap Shoo Wap) || Folc Records