Album Reviews

50 Years in, there is still no stopping Cock Sparrer. Well, that’s not entirely true. They are stopping themselves, having said that ‘Hand On Heart’ will be the band’s last album. If it is, they are going out on a high note. ‘Hand On Heart’ has all the makings of another Cock Sparrer classic.

Building on 2017’s ‘Forever’, opening track ‘With My Hand On My Heart’ comes at you with buzzing guitars and a chorus that will have you belting along from the first listen on. It’s vintage Cock Sparrer as are songs like ‘I Belong To You’ and ‘Take It On The Chin’ to name but two. That’s not to slag any of the other songs on here. Every single track on here comes with thundering drums, great guitar leads and more melodic hooks than most bands would know what to do with. They even know to surprise after all that time with 'My Forgotten Dream,' which comes with a string arrangement by Simon Dobson (Bring Me The Horizon / Mike Oldfield). And then there's ‘Nowhere To Be Found,’ which is simply massive.

It’s pretty unbelievable that a band that has been around for half a century, can still muster up the energy to be in the same room together, let alone record an amazing new album. Yet Cock Sparrer seem to do it with ease. And even more unbelievable, they do it with mostly the same line-up: vocalist Colin McFaull, guitarist Mick Beaufoy, bassist Steve Burgess and drummer Steve Bruce are all still present and accounted for. The only non-original member is guitarist Daryl Smith, having only been in the band for a mere 30 years.

If this is truly the band’s last album, it will be a damn shame but at least they left us with one hell of a parting gift. ‘Hand On Heart’ is an amazing swan song for a band that helped define punk rock.

Hand On Heart track list:

1. With My Hand on My Heart
2. Mind Your Own Business
3. I Belong to You
4. Rags to Riches
5. No Way Out
6. Take It on the Chin
7. Nowhere to Be Found
8. One Way Ticket
9. My Forgotten Dream
10. Here We Stand