Album lore

Optimism / Reject (UK D-I-Y Punk and Post-Punk 1977-1981) assembles seventy-one tracks from the British underground between 1977 and 1981, a period when punk’s raw vernacular began fracturing into myriad post-punk dialects. Issued by Cherry Red Records in 2019, this sprawling anthology captures the fragmented energy and experimental impulses of bands working outside major-label confines. Amid the collection’s breadth, tracks like "Break The Ice At Parties" exemplify the sharp-edged rhythms and angular guitar work characteristic of the era’s post-punk leanings.The compilation’s roster—spanning cuts such as Michael’s Monetary System, O Levels, and Police Oppresion—documents a scene thriving on DIY ethos and sonic invention. With over sixteen thousand scrobbles on Last.fm, this artifact preserves a crucial chapter in UK independent music history, offering crate-diggers and boutique DJs a dense archive of sounds that map the transition from punk’s immediacy to post-punk’s restless inquiry.

Album lore

Optimism / Reject (UK D-I-Y Punk and Post-Punk 1977-1981) assembles seventy-one tracks from the British underground between 1977 and 1981, a period when punk’s raw vernacular began fracturing into myriad post-punk dialects. Issued by Cherry Red Records in 2019, this sprawling anthology captures the fragmented energy and experimental impulses of bands working outside major-label confines. Amid the collection’s breadth, tracks like "Break The Ice At Parties" exemplify the sharp-edged rhythms and angular guitar work characteristic of the era’s post-punk leanings.The compilation’s roster—spanning cuts such as Michael’s Monetary System, O Levels, and Police Oppresion—documents a scene thriving on DIY ethos and sonic invention. With over sixteen thousand scrobbles on Last.fm, this artifact preserves a crucial chapter in UK independent music history, offering crate-diggers and boutique DJs a dense archive of sounds that map the transition from punk’s immediacy to post-punk’s restless inquiry.