Album Review: Who Killed Nancy Johnson? – I See Six

Here at The Punk Site we’ve been keeping an eye on Who Killed Nancy Johnson? since the release of their debut EP “Cops And Robbers” back in 2017, there has been a steady stream of EP’s and singles since that date which have been building towards the release of the debut full length “I See Six” that will finally be unleashed on the 26th June. The title for “I See Six” is inspired by the scene in “1984” where Winston Smith is asked to count four fingers as five to prove his submission to a totalitarian regime, a reference point that sadly is more relevant now than when it was published 71 years ago. The band debut full length is a wholly DIY affair that was recorded in a church hall in Oxfordshire, not just because this is the band’s ethos but also to remove the spectre of over-production from “I See Six” and get a sound that is closer to their live shows. 

From the opening duo of singles, the discordant anti-conspiracy theory rage of ‘Not Lizards‘ and the intense ‘City‘, it’s clear that this a different beast to their previous releases, the rage that has always been part of their sound is delivered unrefined and raw. From here on in you are uncharted territory, the album switches effortlessly from the slow burn of the self titled track, ‘Under The Bell‘ and the album’s finalè of ‘Notre Dame‘, to the rage of ‘Communist‘, ‘We Breathe We Burn‘, ‘Six Fingers‘ and ‘Trash‘ to the short and sharp ‘Rothmans‘. The whole album has the same hallmarks of eloquent rage and dissent that “Plastic Surgery Disasters” era Dead Kennedys delivered, the experimental treble laced guitar only adds to this feeling, but don’t take this as any kind of indication that Who Killed Nancy Johnson? are recycling the past, this is an album that is an unpredictable, claustrophobic and original manifesto.

Since the release of their 2017 debut EP Who Killed Nancy Johnson? have steadily  turned up the pressure, 2018 saw the release of the “Flat Earth Theory” EP and “They Reap” single, the band carried on building momentum throughout 2019 with a stream of EP’s in the form of the “They Reap Sessions” EP, the “Sound Of The Suburbs” split EP and the double a-side “Punish The Poor / Clown” single, all of which led us into the dumpster fire that is 2020. The band seem to have channelled the energy from their live shows into “I See Six“, like other bands on the DIY scene Who Killed Nancy Johnson? have made the best of a bad situation and have released an album that is their finest recordings to date, one that sits deservedly amongst the best full lengths I’ve heard this year. “I See Six” is an album for right here and right now, and unless things change for the better, something that seems increasingly unlikely in the short term, it will remain a timely and relevant album. Whatever happens in the future “I See Six will stand as a faultless debut full length that draws a line in the sand and dares you to cross it.

You can pre-order “I See Six” and stream ‘Not Lizards‘ and ‘City‘ via Bandcamp here