A La Penge By MOFGY Review
By Eli Andrew
A raucous crowd pleaser from MOFGY, guaranteed to get either your head banging or your hips shaking. Or both. Isolated drums lay the foundation of the track, a snare-heavy beat that lends an almost military-feel early on. In come the solid groove of the bassline and barking punk vocals. Before the James Brown-esque funk of the guitar riff comes in, you’re already moving.
The chorus is an affirmation chant of the band’s hometown, south-east London’s very own urban district of Penge, Bromley. Live shows are bound to go down well in the song’s namesake, but even in foreign territory, the band’s frenetic live energy and terrace-like chanting of the chorus will have you singing along in no time. As the song closes, a clattering drum break gives way to a wah wah guitar solo, which in turn morphs into a UFO sound-effect of modulating feedback and reverb. Hendrix and Frusciante would be proud.
The song certainly showcases the band’s musicianship. It is a far-cry from their 2023 effort ‘Whoop-De-Doo’, which offers a more folk/country sound. ‘A La Penge’ demonstrates the band’s versatility and resistance to being shoehorned into just one genre. This is a chaotic, funky track with swaggering vocals delivered in a south-east London snarl. Lyrics of everyday life in the borough; the chippy, the pub, halfway houses. All a la Penge. As the tongue-in-cheek title of the track suggests, it’s pure fun, and you only have to look as far as the underwear-featuring music video to see that. The band’s website bio best sums it up: ‘Sing from the heart, play from the balls.’ Indeed.
