SINGLE REVIEW: The Owen Guns – Gene Pool Party
At just 1 minute 31 seconds, ‘Gene Pool Party’ is pure punk bedlam — loud, fast, cheeky, and gone before you can catch your breath. The Owen Guns charge in with a surf-tinged riff and a barrage of jack-the-lad vocals, throwing elbows in every direction as gang shouts and pounding drums build the perfect backdrop for a beer-drenched, no-frills knees-up. There’s a clear nod to the Hokey Cokey in the mix, warped just enough to make it funny and weird without tipping into parody. It’s silly, it’s brash, and it works.
What makes it click isn’t just the attitude — it’s the charm. You can hear the camaraderie in every shouted line, a pack of mates having a laugh and pulling you into the chaos whether you like it or not. Beneath the noise, there’s clever detail too — wonky futurist squiggles and twitchy distortion give it texture, but never at the expense of pace or punch. It’s got that classic punk spirit: short, scrappy, and unforgettable in the moment.
‘Gene Pool Party’ is for dancing like an idiot, pint in hand, shouting with your mates over a wall of feedback. The Owen Guns aren’t trying to reinvent anything — they’re here for fun, and they’ve absolutely nailed it.
