I reviewed punk band Irked’s self-titled debut back in the summer of 2024, and I’ve had it on repeat ever since, so I was very excited when I heard they were releasing their debut album (in fact, it got forwarded to me twice — that’s how much our co-editor knew I’d love it).
The album is titled The Grievance and it is very much not a grievance to listen to. If anything, it’s an adrenaline shot straight to the arm. Fast, furious, and completely unrelenting, it’s a sonic punk assault that takes no prisoners and is impossible not to move to. Even on record, the songs feel like they’re about to spill over the edges- I can only imagine the absolute carnage of hearing this live. I actually missed a chance to see them last month thanks to illness and train chaos, but after this, I’ll definitely be making up for that at some point.
Musically, Irked sit firmly in the ‘egg punk’ world -short, sharp, chaotic bursts of energy that don’t hang around. There’s a clear X-Ray Spex influence running through the album, especially on the title track ‘The Grievance’ which has this almost surfy undercurrent beneath the chaos, matching lines like “ride the waves…” while still feeling like it might completely derail at any second. You can hear that same spirit in ‘Green Space’ and ‘Freak Pub’ too- jagged, playful, and just the right side of unhinged.
The album wastes no time getting going. ‘Irked F.U’ opens with a slightly deceptive, drawn-out intro before suddenly snapping into speed- guitars racing, vocals turning into cathartic screams. It sets the tone perfectly: this is not here to be polite. Tracks like Repeat Offender and Running barely give you time to catch your breath, blasting through in under a minute with full-throttle energy, like a band determined to say everything before the world cuts them off.
Lyrically, there’s this brilliant mix of frustration, sarcasm and self-awareness. ‘Who Assked’ pulls things back just slightly vocally, but keeps the bite: “why does everybody wanna fight with me?” — a question that feels both personal and universal. Meanwhile ‘The ACP’ leans more into spoken delivery before exploding back into a scream that feels like it’s been building the whole time.
My personal favourite is ‘Settle Down’ , which is an absolute banger and easily one of the album’s standout moments. It takes aim at the completely contradictory expectations placed on women as they age- lines like “women stop being cute when they turn 23” hit hard, but it’s the overwhelming list of pressures that really lands. Be everything, do everything, plan your life, enjoy your life, don’t miss a moment-it’s exhausting just listening to it, in the best way. It captures that feeling of being pulled in every direction while still trying to hold onto yourself.
Elsewhere, ‘Death Cult’ is another highlight — “the system is a death cult” repeated with urgency, tapping into that sense of burnout and overwhelm that feels very now. ‘The Hardest Man in Billingham’ and ‘The Keynote Speaker’ continue that thread of self-reflection and societal pressure, while still keeping that frantic, slightly chaotic edge.
Across the album, songs come and go quickly, but that’s part of what makes it so effective — nothing overstays its welcome, and the energy never dips. It’s messy, loud, funny, angry, and completely alive.
The Grievance doesn’t just vent frustration — it throws it at you at full speed, invites you to scream along, and somehow leaves you feeling more energised than drained. It’s punk that understands that anger can be cathartic, but also fun.
‘The Grievance’ is out now and you can get it on Bandcamp
Irked Socials: Instagram/Facebook
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva
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