Kid Kapichi – ‘Here’s What You Could Have Won’ [Album Review]

If you had to pick a band or album which epitomised perfectly the feeling of the nation in 2022 then Kid Kapichi and their new offering Here’s What You Could Have Won must surely be a contender. A scathing explosion of fury, this collection finds Kid Kapichi laying down in musical form, precisely what this country has been feeling during and post-lockdown

Setting the tone on opening track “New England” where the band team up with fellow punk-rock agitator Bob Vylan, Kid Kapichi don’t hold back. A no-holds barred look at “fool Britannia”, the song ends with the line “you ain’t shut them out, you’ve just locked us in”. This is just one example of a band who have the balls to say exactly what the rest of this Nation is think with the rest of the album littered with more examples of their vicious modern punk attacks.

The real beauty of Here’s What You Could Have Won comes in frontman Ben Beetham lyrics with his genius no more evident than on the sarcastic, unapologetic “Party at No 10”, an acoustic number targeting the parties held at No.10 during the height of the lockdown which, ultimately, brought the downfall of the recent UK government. While the acoustic approach tones down the rage, there is no less frustration and fuck-you anger in every single word. Back with the bangers though and “Smash The Gaff” is a full, frustration-letting, snot-soaked punk rock snarler with a vibe which will ring familiar with fans of The Prodigy‘s more aggro-punk moments.

Elsewhere “5 Days On (2 Days Off)” is a bouncy look at the neverending cycle of work life while “Cops & Robbers” is a pressure keg of frustration which, like the rest of the album, teeters on the edge before exploding right in your face. With plenty of moments like these Here’s What You Could Have Won is a massive fuck you in the face of modern Britain. As much as the phrase “Broken Britain” is one that makes you cringe, Here’s What You Could Have Won epitomises the racism, crime, politics and social climate perfectly with Kid Kapichi wrapping it all up in thirty-five brutal, tension-filled minutes.

Here’s What You Could Have Won Track Listing:

1. New England ft. Bob Vylan
2. Rob The Supermarket
3. 5 Days On (2 Days Off)
4. I.N.V.U.
5. Super Soaker
6. Party at No.10
7. Cops & Robbers
8. Tar Pit
9. Never Really Had You
10. Smash the Gaff
11. Special

Run Time: 35:01
Release Date: September 23rd, 2022
Record Label: Spinefarm