The Ex - Singles. Period.

You might not be aware of this, but The Ex has existed in some form for a quarter of a century. The Dutch Socialists are definitive of the term “punk rock,” and of course any real punk rock band has to release a portion of their catalog on hard-to-find vinyl singles. That stuff is always running out of print, if there’s even a second pressing. Plus, they hopped labels with nearly every release. This is why Singles. Period. exists. Pulling together a good deal of these obscure songs, The Ex has succeeded in not only compiling a disc of essential songs, but also in reiterating the message contained therein. If Mark E. Smith from The Fall were to form a band with members of Crass and the early Mekons, the result wouldn’t be a far cry from The Ex. In other words, this band is overt about their political ideas, which they deliver in true post-punk fashion. So is it artsy or is the musicianship just due to a lack of skill? I can’t answer that, but in any case, it’s pulled off well. The earliest (as the 23 tracks are in chronological order) harness a guitar style similar to that of East Bay Ray (Dead Kennedys), but with much more self-control than their San Franciscan brethren. Subject matter isn’t that different from the norm—the wrongs of society, revolution, corrupt Americans, anti-capitalism, etcetera. As the disc progresses, of course, you can begin to track the improvements each member is making on his or her respective instrument while you simultaneously notice the band becoming tighter and more musically diverse, delving into an early industrial sound at some points and using unconventional structures at others. Don’t expect anything bright or smooth on Singles. Period, as that’s exactly the antithesis of The Ex. I’ll go out on a limb and say this is pretty necessary, despite that the band seems to have been overlooked over and over again. [www.touchandgorecords.com]