Leicester’s Punk-Experimental Heroes Deliver a Brass-Laced Riot
From the murky heart of Leicester’s underground comes Coffee, a genre-bending, brass-charged punk assault from Not My Good Arm (NMGA) – a band that has been kicking out noise for over a decade.
This is not your average indie-punk outfit. Coffee proves that NMGA are seasoned musicians who know exactly how to toe the line between chaos and craft. It’s raucous, it’s weird, and above all, it’s unapologetically alive. Brass stabs, snarling riffs, groove-led basslines, and a rhythm section built like a battering ram all collide with a vocal delivery that knows when to bite and when to back off. The album feels live and unpredictable, like it could collapse or explode at any second—and that volatility is part of its magic.
“This is a great album. Musicianship is awesome, great brass playing, great rhythm, vocals work well for the style.”
TRACK-BY-TRACK: COFFEE BY NMGA
1. 18 Months
A furious, groove-heavy opener that pulls no punches. From the first beat, you’re dragged into a world of twitchy guitars, barked vocals and stomping brass. The band sound locked-in and urgent. The call-to-arms energy is undeniable—like being thrown headfirst into a basement gig where the walls sweat back at you.
2. Dr Strange
A psychedelic lurch into the surreal, channeling the eccentricity of Captain Beefheart and the angular discomfort of early post-punk. Guitars slash in unpredictable patterns while the drums lurch forward like a machine learning to walk. It’s jarring in the best way, a headtrip with teeth.
3. Let ‘Em Burn
The most overtly political moment on the album. It spits fury with conviction, but never loses its musical edge. Riffs come fast and sharp, while the vocal delivery leans into agit-punk territory. It’s not just noise for the sake of it—it’s a protest you can dance to.
4. Come Right
A moment of reprieve—but not relaxation. Slower and more melodic, it lets the brass breathe and takes a more soulful turn. There’s something beautifully sad in this track’s delivery, like a punk band catching their breath and realising they have feelings too. One of the most emotionally resonant moments on the record.
5. Check the Frame
Built around tension and groove, this track carries a sense of paranoia. It feels like watching someone unravel under flickering streetlights. The band use dynamics masterfully here, pulling back and pushing forward with precision. The chorus is anthemic, making it a likely live favourite.
6. Space Dinosaur
Easily the most bizarre and brilliant moment. This is NMGA letting their imagination go wild. The result is part punk opera, part intergalactic circus. It’s the sound of a band not giving a toss about genre and just having fun with absurdity. Somehow, it still grooves.
7. Stone Cold
The quiet storm. Haunting and hollowed out, it places emotion above aggression. The slow tempo gives each line weight, and the sense of restraint here is impressive. A track that could have been a throwaway ballad becomes something raw and poetic in NMGA’s hands.
8. Take Me Alive
Back into high gear, this is a thumping, sweaty rush of a song. The rhythm section tears through the track like it’s trying to outrun a breakdown. It’s a perfect penultimate blast that shows just how tight the band really are beneath all the glorious chaos.
9. 100 Knees
A finale that fuses theatre, humour and punk spirit. Lyrically grotesque and gleefully weird, it sums up the entire record: strange, bold, heartfelt and just a bit unhinged. It leaves you unsure whether to laugh, scream or hit replay—and that’s exactly how this should end.
WHY COFFEE MATTERS
Coffee isn’t just a collection of songs. It’s a sonic manifesto from a band that refuses to be boxed in. The combination of brass, jagged guitars and wildly expressive vocals makes for something truly unique. Where most bands might shave off their weird edges, NMGA double down on them.
“NMGA don’t polish their songs into pop shapes – they let them twitch, stumble, and shout. And that’s the point.”
“They sound like the house band at a dystopian brass rave… and it works.”
“If Future of the Left and The Music had a feral brass baby, it might sound like this.”
“You won’t find this in a Spotify algorithm playlist. That’s why you need to hear it.”
“NMGA’s Coffee is a beautifully disjointed gut-punch of a record that dares to sound different.”
“Unpredictable, honest, and bursting with character – this is punk as it should be.”
FINAL VERDICT: 9 TRACKS OF GENIUS CHAOS
NMGA have created something brilliantly awkward and joyfully off-kilter. Coffee is the sound of a band refusing to grow up, straighten out, or tone it down – and thank god for that.
In a landscape increasingly dominated by safe production, algorithm-chasing singles, and overthought branding, Coffee is refreshingly human. There are no gimmicks, no pretence, no half-hearted attempts to appeal to radio. This is music made by people who believe in what they do – and who clearly have a blast doing it. You can hear the years of experience, the gig circuit mileage, and the chemistry of bandmates who’ve built this sound over time, not in a studio shortcut.
Coffee doesn’t care if you like it. That’s exactly why you should. It’s confrontational, vulnerable, and full of life. It’s the kind of album that reminds you why alternative music still matters – because it dares to challenge, to amuse, and to stay ugly on purpose.
It’s also, crucially, fun. NMGA manage to take on themes of politics, alienation, identity and madness without ever sounding preachy or overly bleak. They use humour as a blade and sincerity as a shield. Every moment feels alive, and every song feels like it means something.
For fans of: Future of the Left, The Music, Stiff Little Fingers, Captain Beefheart, Pere Ubu – and for anyone craving a blast of originality in a sea of sameness.
Originally released in 2024, Coffee is out now on all streaming platforms.
