Ballad Of The Insolent Pup is another gloriously raw slice of Garage Rock and Punk from Thee Headcoatees, featuring the distinctive voices of Bongo Debbie, Holly Golightly, Kyra LaRubia and Ludella Black. Produced by Billy Childish, the album captures the primitive energy, fuzzed-up guitars and stripped-down attitude that made the Headcoatees such an important part of the Medway Garage scene.
The album opens with Debbie on What Once Was, followed by Ludella's This Heart and Pretend, before Kyra takes the lead on the title track. Holly Golightly handles You'll Be Sorry Now, while the four vocalists share the album between them, giving each song its own character. The first side continues with All My Feelings Denied and It's Bad, while the second side brings When You Stop Loving Me, Two Hearts Beating, No Respect, Again And Again and Now Is Not The Best Time.
With Billy Childish responsible for the songwriting on the 14 tracks, Ballad Of The Insolent Pup has a remarkably consistent sound despite the changing vocalists. From the wounded romanticism of This Heart and When You Stop Loving Me to the sharper attitude of No Respect and You'll Never Do It Baby, this is primitive, catchy and defiantly unpolished Garage Rock from the heart of the Medway scene.
