Anti-Pasti - "Let Them Free" - (Rondelet)

Anti-Pasti – “Let Them Free” – (Rondelet)
Confession:  One of the reasons this record is a dollar-bin-ripper is because the cover is kind of thrashed. However, this is a total budget bin find in many stores and almost all Anti-Pasti singles are cheap, especially considering the era they came out. Anti-Pasti is a notoriously overlooked chapter in English punk history. Maybe it’s because they weren’t on a cool label (Rondelet) or because they were only around for a few years, but I still manage to love this band’s output. Anti-Pasti played somewhat typical 1980 3rd wave punk. While they might not fit in perfectly with Discharge or Vice Squad, they do find a nice niche for themselves in anthem inspiring British punk that isn’t oi! The band had moderate success in the UK when they were around but I hardly ever hear anyone talk about them now. I guess they’ve done a couple reunions since their breakup, but I just can’t show any interest in 50-year-old men playing songs they wrote as teenagers. These are songs that make you pump your fist in the air, but in a kind of passive “I like this record” kind of way.

Anti-Pasti's whole output is pretty stellar, but the first few singles are really where they shine. They hadn't quite refined their sound yet, and once they finally did, it's almost like listening to those later Angelic Upstarts records: They're okay, they're punk, but they just pale in comparison to when they started. Track down everything through "Caution In The Wind" and call it a day, or continue and find some pretty good songs that just aren't quite as powerful.