The Meffs are a band that tick a lot of boxes for me- from Essex like myself- tick, punk- tick, political- big tick, noisy duo- even bigger tick. Having seen them live at Rebellion Festival in 2025 and loving them, I was excited to be reviewing their second album, Business.
The band have garnered quite the live reputation, performing not only at festivals but supporting big names such as The Undertones and The Subways. Having awesome music helps, of course, but I do think that in the present and seemingly never-ending political landscape we have, bands that have that true spirit of actually rallying against the system and speaking up for what’s right are important, and The Meffs definitely have that in abundance.
Business is not a happy album by any measure of the word- this album is angry, feral and ready to fight to the death, with a dark but addictive soundtrack. Choose your poison- this is music you can choose to mosh to or dance to, all the while smashing fascism in the face.
The Meffs don’t merely have one target on this album- they have a whole hit list.
‘Disorder (Wake Up)’ takes aim at the way immigration is weaponised as a distraction from political failure. The song comes charging in with thrashing guitars and a chorus of ‘Wake up!’, repeatedly asking us who our enemy actually is before reminding us that it isn’t each other. It is exactly the kind of song that makes you want to shout along while simultaneously thinking, yep, this is why I love punk.
Elsewhere, ‘Law’ turns its attention to people with wealth and power escaping the consequences of their actions. Lily explains that the song was inspired by figures such as Tommy Robinson and Andrew Tate and the wider corruption she sees in legal systems around the world. It comes with the kind of riff that is just made for dancing, another one that is going to become a permanent earworm, and further proof that The Meffs have somehow managed to make righteous anger extremely catchy.
But despite all the rage and anger, there is also vulnerability. On the title track ‘Business’, Lily sings about all the contradictory ways we can be told we don’t fit the mould- not hard enough, not soft enough, not queer enough, too rough, not feminine enough. It is a feeling that will be relatable to so many of us who have at some point felt like we are standing on the outside of society looking in, wondering where exactly we fit.
The song itself is a swing at the music industry and the gatekeeping and fakeness that can come along with it. There is something particularly satisfying about a band being told they don’t fit somebody else’s idea of what they should be, and responding with the musical equivalent of ‘well, fuck you then.’ The Meffs know who they are, and Business feels like them refusing to apologise for it.
‘What a Nightmare’ lives up to its name with a dark riff that wouldn’t sound out of place in a horror film, while the faster tracks keep the momentum going. ‘Fight’ clocks in at just 33 seconds, seemingly proving that The Meffs have something to say and absolutely no intention of hanging around before saying it. ‘So Modern (Keep Up)’ is bouncy and shouty, while ‘God Complex’, featuring DONOTS, is another absolute banger with a riff that leaves you with the eternal question: do I dance or do I mosh? Frankly, why choose?
This is where I think Business really works for me. Yes, the subject matter is often bleak. There is anger about politics, inequality, corruption, exclusion and a whole host of things that are currently making the world feel like an increasingly exhausting place to exist in. But listening to this album doesn’t leave me feeling defeated.
It feels like somewhere to put all that pent-up energy.
There is something incredibly satisfying about taking all that frustration, anger and helplessness and turning it into something loud enough to dance to. The Meffs don’t make the world’s problems disappear, but for the duration of a song they give that anger somewhere to go. Instead of sitting at home shouting at the news, I can turn this up and shout along with it.
And then, just when you might think the album has finished throwing punches, The Meffs end with a cover of The Prodigy’s classic ‘Breathe’. Somehow they have managed to make it sound even darker and more sinister than the original. It still retains an element of rave, but in The Meffs’ hands it feels more threatening, particularly as the song draws to a close and Lily snarls ‘Breathe with me!’ before we hear her taking sharp intakes of breath. It is an appropriately unsettling way to end an album that has spent its duration kicking against the world.
Having already seen The Meffs live, I knew they could create this kind of energy in a room, but Business proves they can capture that same feeling on record. It is angry, political, noisy and unapologetic, but it is also incredibly catchy and liberating.
Sometimes you need music that makes you think. Sometimes you need music that makes you cry. And sometimes you just need to turn the volume up, have a fucking dance and smash fascism in the face.
Business is definitely the latter.
Business is out now and you can get it here
The Meffs socials- Facebook/Instagram
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva
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