England’s The Enemy hails from working-class Coventry, a kind of badge of honour because of its nose to the grindstone rep.  And bands will exploit this to an advantage while the youth that hail from those regions afford a sense of respect for this alone.  Regardless, there are several UK bands that claim this, a few getting better distribution than most via big labels and well-attended shows.  The allure to this is the quality of the lyrics.  There seems to be a deeper understanding of life and its hardships at a much earlier age due to the prevalent, often inescapable working class life accompanied by an ethic.

The Enemy has a line-in on their views of life from several angles and write it well.  Musically, they succeed as well.  With a sound that borrows from late ‘70s British punk and post-punk – primarily The Jam.  I’ve detected hints of other bands as well but you’ll not go wrong with this idea of what the sound is like.  You might even remember others.

There are several excellent US only tracks on this album that stand out.  Tracks like “Five Years,” a David Bowie cover and "Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation."   The album's one strong track, “Your Song” is an everyman’s view of changes in life, in mind, and in the times, mixed with its frustrations and dead-ends usually found in such hard-work areas.  The song is a crown jewel of this album.

Other stand out songs include “We’ll Live and Die in these Towns,” and the wonderfully building “You’re Not Alone.”  “Away From Here” is a page out of ‘70s punk history and is an underscore.

Assuming that the music of The Enemy is your cup of tea (or cup of joe), then you’ll easily emerge from a visit with this album with a favourable impression, even awaiting the next album eagerly.  And you’d be right.

The Enemy (UK) is excellent entertainment with a dose of working class realities and observations.  It might serve to mention that The Who understood this kind of stuff (working-class despair), crafting wonderful songs that are memorable to this day.  While The Enemy may never gain that kind of super-stature, I’m remaining a dedicated fan.

We’ll Live and Die in These Towns is highly recommended.