The revolution isn’t happening. It won’t be televised. But the end of days? That just might be. Have you seen the news? War. Deliberate starvation. An orange-faced tit in a wig with an oversized clipboard slapping tariffs on and off like it’s some dystopian gameshow—albeit one designed to make his billionaire mates even richer.
The confusion of 2025—and the confusion within us all—is laid bare on Headsticks’ latest album “The Best Thing On TV”. “Pantomime” kicks it all off, and what better title? Oh no it isn’t. Oh yes it is.
This sort of clever, biting commentary is typical of Headsticks. They know how to hold a mirror up to society while still acknowledging the futility of the whole charade. “Keyboard Warriors” is for anyone who’s ever set the world to rights over a pint. “World domination, let’s put it all on hold / I don’t have a winter coat and it’s getting bloody cold,” sings Andrew Tranter (yes, we’ll name him here), and you can’t help but nod in recognition.
Much like their spiritual cousins Ferocious Dog, Headsticks straddle the folk/punk divide with precision and purpose. “Top Of The World” leans into the folk side, while the cowbell-drenched “God Song”—arguably the album’s highlight—is a raucous, thought-provoking slice of rock ‘n’ roll.
What really sets the album apart is its refusal to fall into formula. “Ashes” brings Latin rhythms and fine harmonies into the mix, while the riff-driven “Apocalypse” is deceptively catchy and bleakly anthemic. It also lends the album its title—“The Best Thing On TV” being a darkly comic nod to our modern tendency to livestream the collapse rather than prevent it.
“No One Left” takes a different path entirely, veering into Dogs D’Amour territory with a North Staffordshire lament about someone careening toward self-destruction. In contrast, “Each And Every Day” rides in on a strident bass groove, laced with a dose of nihilism. “It’s got to the point I’m bored of humanity,” screams Tranter—but even that line comes wrapped in a strange tenderness.
The standout single “Dark Waters” digs deeper into that emotional complexity, charting the corrosion of hope while searching for reason in the madness. Politicians don’t escape unscathed either—the acerbic “St George’s Infirmary” lays them bare with bitter precision.
“Keep You Alive” sounds like The Libertines if they’d grown up eating oatcakes instead of causing tabloid chaos. And then there’s the finale: “There’s A Parsnip On The Pool Table.” A song that does exactly what it says on the tin, ending the album in a Manchester pub on a Monday night, surrounded by surreal, glorious chaos.
Should we be surprised? Probably not. When I reviewed their 2021 album, I called it “one of the best, most original records from a British band so far that year.” With “The Best Thing On TV,” Headsticks prove that lightning strikes twice.
And this time, it’s a soundtrack for when you’re live-streaming the apocalypse.
Rating 8.5/10
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