Index

The guys' first album was released back in 2003 and got really good reviews from a number of magazines and online sites. Check out the following examples of some of the comments: :

THE HITCHERS
'Unspoken Truths'
(Toddler Records)

[8/10] Rock Sound. - "Pretty damn impressive for a debut album"

Ooh Yeah. We like this! One of those instant grabbers that you know you like before it even sinks in. Some great guitar hooks and nifty little tunes that don't need to try too hard to plant themselves in your head. And it's super-catchy without dipping into lame pop music territory, which is always a bonus. It fuses a little punkiness with some rockin' and rollin' in the same way that The Living End do, and it all comes out ahead of most of the countless bands trying to do this stuff without sounding too much like Green Day. Of course no one will ever achieve that now, but it's at least refreshing to hear a band that manage to sound like they have plenty of their own ideas in their songs. Pretty damn impressive for a debut album.

Paul Raggity
© Rock Sound (Issue 57, February 2004)

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[3/5] Kerrang - "Promising Debut From Teesside Upstarts"

Unspoken truths is a winning blend of pop frivolity, riotous ska-punk and '50's style rock 'n' roll

Lucy Gollogly
© Kerrang! (January 2004)

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[5/5] Counter Culture - "Pull up your collar and roll up your sleeves boys and girls; this is genre-busting brilliance"

Rockabilly. Punk rock. Ska. Pop punk. Rock 'n' roll. Post '50s pre-rock 'n' roll-core (I made that last one up). Call them what you will, but there is only one real term to aptly describe The Hitchers' debut record: Awesome.

A 53 minute, 15 track epic bursting with personal failures, friendships and Alicia Silverstone; The Hitchers have produced a storming album that encapsulates their feelings, triumphs and experiences, thrown in the energy of their live shows and presented it all on a super shiny silver platter. The lyrics are deep, amusing and individual, and it sincerely feels like these guys believe in what they sing about, which is certainly not a bad thing.

The music sounds like Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran belting the seven shades of shit out of each other in a bloody bare-knuckle boxing match, with Joe Strummer as the referee. I can just see Green Day and the Stray Cats sitting ringside cheering them on and throwing stuff. But to be realistic, the above names are more akin to influences than references; The Hitchers are hard to define, and it's perhaps better to just kick back and enjoy the songs rather than ponder over their stylings.

One thing I can tell you is that you might as well put your brain up for sale, these tracks are moving in for good. Unspoken Truths has more hooks than a fishing tournament, and you will find yourself whistling, humming and singing these tunes in an involuntary manner for months to come. The array of songs on the disc make the record accessible on several different levels; from the seriousness of a ruptured childhood on No Kisses For A Broken Face to the bouncy and brilliantly cheesy Missy Girl.

There's no beating around the bush; The Hitchers present more than a few situations in which girls play a key component. But there are no whiny tributes or slush-ridden dedications and the lyrics are so thoughtful and sharp that The Hitchers distance themselves from the conventional punky songs about ladies. For example, Wrong In The Head features a lovely young lady who keeps a nine inch ice pick in her panty draw, and cold-bloodedly murders her boyfriend so she can seduce Hitchers' frontman Rich. I just hope this shit isn't bona fide

What's even better than all of this, is the fact that The Hitchers don't come from a sun drenched Californian town, they are as local as it gets: "Take me from the Tees, but she won't leave me" croons Rich in the prominent track Collar Up In Camden Town. Fair enough, England is currently home to such bands like premium punkers 4ft Fingers and Fat Wreck dwellers Consumed, but this album gives the English music scene something diverse and fresh, an accomplishment Rich, Greg and Mike should be really proud of.

If you fancy something that's special and certainly a bit different, run down to your local record shop or get yourself hooked up to the Toddler Records website, and buy this hot piece of plastic. It's punked up enough to thrash out on your sound system, and has enough sounds from the great rock 'n' roll years of the '50s for your mum - hell, even your grandma - to boogie down to.

Pull up your collar and roll up your sleeves boys and girls; this is genre-busting brilliance.

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[N/A] Kill The Noise - "Punk at its most infectious"

'Unspoken Truths' is the fifteen track debut album from Britain's The Hitchers. The Band mix melodic punk with a 1950's rock n' roll style that makes them instantly stand out; think Teen Idols but with dirtier guitars and lyrical leanings towards Alkaline Trio and you're pretty close.

Opener 'No kisses for a broken face' (can't you just imagine this as the title of an Alkaline Trio song?) showcases the bands short, tuneful bursts of catchy punk melodies, mixed with dark/heavy guitar work to create a powerful introduction to the album. The cd then takes a much lighter approach with tracks like 'L.D.I.R,' with a rockability that makes you wish you were at a 1950's show dancing along. This infectious urge to dance carries on with help of the Greenday-esque 'What the Hey,' an upbeat, feet tappingly good track.
By the time we reach track five I'm dancing around my room rather than finishing this review, sad I know, but I think I know why. The singers 50's style vocals really work their way under your skin and help make the already upbeat music highly infectious. 'Emmy' is a slower track, compared to the album as a whole, but this has no effect on the infectious qualities of the band, helped along by an awesome slow, heavy interlude before kicking back into the chorus.

'Collar up in Camden town' brings impressive 1950's style guitar work to join the vocals and The Hitchers become an unstoppable force. Check out the barbershop backing vocals in the interlude, awesome. 'Unspoken Truths' holds several moments of experimentation, with The Hitchers injecting there unique tribute 1950's style into ska songs such as 'Perfect world,' and 'Missy girl,' ensuring that there's no chance of getting bored throughout the fifteen tracks. Each song is as catchy as the last, all I can say is that this is a great album. Punk at its most infectious.