Reviews of The High and Mighty....

From Kerrang (KKKK)....

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Grassroots British Punk Rock at it’s absolute finest! The High and Mighty, album number two from The Cut Ups is an unbridled joy from start to finish. Mining the same ramshackle riffs and punk rock poetry as Brit-punk icons Snuff, it crackles with white hot energy and passion. Frontman Jon Curtis has a disaffected Billy Bragg sneer and seems to share the Essex songwriter’s warm songwriting and folky tendencies. Intelligent, inspirational and socially aware; it’s in the melding of this thoughtful – though often simplistic, heartfelt lyricism and bouncy punk rhythms where The High and Mighty really soars. The DIY punk scene is awash with good intentions: this is the greatest advert for it for some time.....

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From the NME....

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Under the established consensus that the UK’s finest punk rock label Household Name Records rules, one new album you must get your grubby mits on is HHN’s most recent release – The Cut Ups’ ‘The High and Mighty’.....

Take The Replacements’ ‘Tim’-era energy (if you don’t know what I mean, do your homework), Bouncing Souls’ balls-out punk rock and chuck them in with Billy Bragg’s romanticised Great British boot-and-trouser sound. ....

Based in Devon (where singer/guitarist Jon Shoes gushingly admits the soundtrack of his childhood as being the din of cars raring down the M5), small-town UK punk rock couldn’t get much more fulfilling. That’s the thing that makes The Cut Ups so bloody ace – their heart-warming fulfilment of love for things that are taken for granted on a daily basis; DIY punk shows, art and culture.....

It’s the mature, thoughtful and honest aura that blankets these 20-something dudes with charm, and their simplistic no-frills approach and positive spirits consistently confirm this throughout ‘The High and Mighty’. Rarely straying from their relaxed yet hammering message of free spirit and collaboration over competition, The Cut Ups are to be understood for their urgency of pulling you away from your computer screen and getting you involved in DIY punk rock.....

Sofa sores? Go home. High-fives? Hella yeah.....

While their spiritual home may evidently be the mate-run Exeter Cavern club, I have absolutely no doubt that they can find a place in your heart to accommodate. ....

But you know what the best thing about this band is? Because they are from our tiny little island and are usually playing pubs and clubs, you can get into most of their shows for about £5… the modest price of a KFC Boneless Banquet.....

Now I know succulent Kentucky Fried Chicken with numerous side-orders is ....

pretty damn awesome, but a night with The Cut Ups will overcome any other hunger than the kind that itself permits a stuffing for. Please can I have some more, sir?....

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From Rocksound magazine.......

It’s been a long time coming, but finally, Exeter punk stalwarts The Cut Ups have released album number two, and boy, has it been worth the wait! A shift in dynamics fuelled by former bassist Adam Searle shifting to six strings and the addition of new recruit Jack Hyde, allows the Devon quartet to showcase more depth and dexterity than ever before, whilst the politically infused lyrics of former Shoe! frontman Jon Curtis maintain a fresh, positive and intelligent rhetoric that both challenges and inspires the listener in equal measure. With a killer rhythm section provided by sticksman Reza Mirehsan and a dynamic, tightly wound sense of punk rock melody, this is DIY the way it should be. 
FOR FANS OF: Billy Brag, Annalise, The Arteries, Chillerton
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RACHEL KELLEHAR – Rocksound Magazine....

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From Big Cheese magazine.......

4/5.
The Cut Ups return with the follow-up to 2006’s ‘....Paris Street.... in Ruins’ and it’s a grower that hooks you in . While the Bouncing Souls influence is still strong and some songs are too basic, such as the opening title track, ‘The High and Mighty’ is a more varied album than their debut. Upbeat anthems such as ‘Die Lieber Zimmer Auf’ and future live favourite ‘These Bones Were Built On Rice’ mix with more restrained tunes such as ‘I Know It’s OK’. These infectious sing-alongs are sure to raise a smile from fans of the Souls, Against Me! And Leatherface. Pick it up and catch them live. 
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Ian Chaddock – Big Cheese....

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From Punktastic.com (4 Stars from 5)....

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On being passed this album the advice given to me was this: review it only after at least four listens and pay special attention to the lyrics. Well, it’s been listened to a lot more than four times I can assure you and particular notice has been paid to the lyrics. So why such specific suggestions? Rest assured we shall get to that.....

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Following on from the 2006 self-released debut ‘Paris Street in Ruins’, the latest long-player from Exeter D.I.Y. scene stalwarts The Cut Ups sees the band in punk-rock storytelling mode, frenzied guitars, throbbing drums and yet somehow still a sense of leisurely relaxation. Sometimes the press release really does get it spot-on: “the sound of Snuff with a huge dose of Billy Bragg thrown in”. There’s certainly a case for this particular comparison. In today’s musical climate I guess it would be easy to make an association with The Gaslight Anthem or The Hold Steady only there’s a coarser element deep-rooted here. It’s punk, it’s sort-of folk, it’s just different really.....

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‘The High and Mighty’ proves to be a subtle offering in that it has an incredible ‘growing’ power. On first listen it’s not the most immediate of albums. Sure, it’s good, but it doesn’t grab you by the eardrums and cry out for your attention. But, and here’s the trick, after the next spin, and the one after that, it really begins to infiltrate. Each revisit to the likes of “Last Night I Dreamt I Saw Fugazi” and “”I Asked the Wrong Question” will have you pleading for more. There is the reason this shouldn’t be reviewed on minimal listens. The record is also one of those rare instances in which the songs get stronger as the album progresses. There’s no stock-piling of ‘hits’ at the beginning here. “These Bones Were Built On Rice”, track eight of eleven, is arguably the strongest on the album, and the following song, “I Know It’s OK”, is the single best punk rock anthem I’ve heard in a long time. ....

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Which brings us on to the lyrics: the record makes for a pleasant change in that it’s positive yet somewhat quaint in its musings. The harsh and rustic sounding vocals pay close attention to the sense of home and appreciating where you come from. Even in knife-wielding Britain (as depicted on “An Ode to These Isles”) the band finds hope at home (“Let’s Go Home”). Seriously, the Exeter Tourism Board should snap these boys up for its marketing department. It’s all well thought out, showing a heart and seriousness that’s not always on display nowadays, and is essentially enjoyable. A thinking persons record perhaps.....

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Released on Household Name you know it’s going to be good right? Well, this is very good, an excellent addition to a roster that’s starting to build itself to the high standards of the early 2000’s again. Get this and then check out The Cut Ups at a D.I.Y. show near you soon. You won’t regret it.....

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‘The High and Mighty’ is available now through Household Name Records of London....

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Alex – Punktastic.com....

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From Caught in the Crossfire zine....

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The High And Mighty is a new 11 songs of punk pleasantries from Exeter’s own The Cut Ups. This album provides 34 minutes of punk with a melodic edge a la Against Me/Hot Water Music.

The record opens up with song The High and Mighty, which is a fitting opening track for it. Starting off with a simple guitar strum that has a delightful tone to it, giving the album a positive feel already and ending on an even better note. With other song titles such as Last Night I Dreamt I Saw Fugazi and Jakes Versus the Christmas Tree you know this album is going to have a nice ring to it. The Fugazi song especially being an ear opener, full of cheer and ending with the infectious chant of “We’re Still Here, But We’re Not Trying.”

The album as a whole is very appealing to allsorts, it can appeal to good old fashioned punkers, pop punkers, and maybe even indie fans as some of it sounds like more punk influenced Libertines songs. The ominous yell of singer Adam is a driving force of the music, it’s not the best singing voice in the world, but that makes it even better. His voice is deep and heartfelt, giving the music a more genuine wholesomeness.....

At risk of sounding cheesy The High And Mighty is a truly uplifting album, and when you listen to it your mood will instantly be altered. That’s quite an achievement for a little band from Exeter! The music may not be the most technical ever written, and the songs might not have the most complex of structures but that’s how bands like this should sound. Stripped to the bare essentials and played with real honesty, The Cut Ups will leave you with a smile on your face.....

Jonathan Teggert – Caught in the Crossfire....

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