The Headsticks have been making the world a better place with their self-described brand of “Revolutionary Punk Roots Rock ‘N’ Roll’ for over a decade. It’s an explosive combination of folk and punk that knows no bounds and has a crossover vibe that’ll appeal to anyone whose tastes veer towards the alternative. With a lyrical bent that’s as sharp as their sound, this quartet make for an arresting experience and ensures their records arrive bristling with attitude and their latest album is no exception. Featuring a dozen tracks that are bursting with energy, The Best Thing On TV is not only one of 2025’s best releases, but the best thing on your stereo.

Appearing like an army of miscreants marching over the horizon, Headsticks don’t have time to waste of fancy preambles or elongated introductions; this is music that immediately grabs you by the private parts and gives a good tug, and it’s all the better for it. ‘Pantomime’ arrives with drums beating military muster and guitars that fall in lockstep; the result is a song that makes a beeline to the centre of your cranium and implants an earworm that’ll buzz around all day. This is a call-to-arms that attacks the heart and head simultaneously, it’s sure to ignite crowds wherever it’s unleashed (surely the litmus test for any song) and you can visualise the pint glass held aloft in salutation and affirmation. The spaces between the songs seem deliberately short and it’s a decision that works rather well; no sooner have the Headsticks got the listener on the ropes with ‘Pantomime’ than they go in for the kill with ’Keyboard Warrior’. The punches come thick and fast and leave you battered and bruised (but in the best way, of course), and wondering what hit you. However, as anyone familiar with Headsticks will testify, the band are a finely nuanced beast; there’s plenty of variety on offer with slower songs such as ‘On Top Of The World’ and ‘Ashes’ peppering the album to ensure that things never become staid. In Fact, The Best Thing On TV flows like an old school album, and while it is perfectly feasible to dip in and out of this record and enjoy the songs individually, it’s advisable to set aside forty minutes to fully appreciate its ululation and ebb and flow.

Playing any type of crossover music is a risky business; fuse those chemicals correctly and you’ll have a sound that sparkles and fizzes and tickles the nose. However, get the mixture wrong and things can fall flat. I’m pleased to report that The Best Thing On TV very much falls into the former category, primarily because the Headsticks don’t deviate too far from their core sound. That’s not to say they are generic, far from it; there’s plenty of variety on offer from the angular and spiky post-punk of ‘(Don’t Spoil) The Apocalypse’ to funky closer ‘There’s A Parsnip On The Pool Table’ via their reworking of the old blues tune ‘St James Infirmary’ (reimagined as a damning indictment on modern life and rechristened ‘St George’s Infirmary’), this is an album that constantly shapeshifts, but is stitched together by the band’s trademark volatility.

After a decade in the game, the Headsticks are still finding ways to keep things fresh and move their sound forwards, and The Best Thing On TV suggests that will long continue.

• The Best Thing On TV is released on 1st June 2025.
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Track List:

1. Pantomime
2. Keyboard Warriors
3. On Top Of The World
4. God Song
5. Ashes
6. (Don’t Spoil) The Apocalypse
7. There’s No One Left
8. Each And Every Day
9. Dark Waters
10. St George’s Infirmary
11. I Keep You Alive
12. There’s A Parsnip On The Pool Table