Gothenburg troublemakers Raka Rør are a three-piece Oi! band, and its members Robin, Love, and Jocke have decided to cause us immeasurable pleasure by releasing the compilation album Värdighetens förkämpar (Defenders of Dignity). It’s a selection of 20 tracks covering everything the band recorded between 2019 and 2022, including a couple of covers and one previously unreleased track.

All songs were recorded DIY in the rehearsal space, but the sound is fine and suits the punk aesthetic the band presents. The band themselves describe it as unpolished and slapdash punk, and the music certainly evokes that feeling. It’s an attitude of: it is what it is, this is how we do it, we’re not aiming for Album of the Year, the main thing is having a laugh and also a beer – stripped down to the bone – we play Oi! in the garage and we don’t care about you: straightforward, nothing fancy.

This trio, founded in 2017, has stayed true to the original punk ideal that playing music isn’t about perfect chords, but about commitment and energy, and I really appreciate that: louder rather than competent, simpler rather than pretentious, and grittier rather than polished. Authenticity trumps perfect sound. I thought for a long time about whether to dissect and describe each song—I really didn’t want to, there are 20 of them, you know… but since I already had it translated, I’ll crack open a can and go for it…

1. Jag klarar ingenting („I Can’t Handle Anything“) An open confession about the feeling of failure, frustration, and life incompetence. Even when you have everything, the world is collapsing. „I can’t handle anything, I can’t handle anything at all…“ Years of bad decisions, alcohol, drugs, and self-destruction – raw punk without censorship.
2. Öl och cigg („Beer and Cigarettes“) A Hard Skin cover. A celebration of simple pleasures – beer, cigarettes, and friends. „We’re drinking another one, not dealing with anything else. Years of work, losses, but we have beer.“ Light, honest streetpunk joy.
3. På vår bullshit igen („Back to Our Bullshit“) About friendship and jointly coping with depression and exhaustion. „When I’m broken, you’re here. When the world goes crazy, we say: So what. You hand me a bottle, and we’re back to our bullshit.“ Solidarity and camaraderie as salvation.
4. Den sista alkoholisten („The Last Alcoholic“) Loneliness, routine, and the irony of a person who drinks even though they know they shouldn’t. „Everyone rejects me, I go to the bar alone – the last alcoholic.“ A mix of sadness and humour, a typical Oi! punk tragicomedy.
5. Shitlist („Shitlist“) A critique of people who think they are punk but have lost their spark. „You are a zero, you are on my shitlist. Punk was once, now you just repeat.“ A sarcastic slap to the posers.
6. Lasse var en kolatorsk („Lasse Was an Addict“) A dark story about addiction, ironically presented. „Lasse loved beer, but it wasn’t enough. He did a couple of bad things and ended up dead.“ Humour and reality, hands in pockets and an empty gaze.
7. Ursäkta mig så jävla mycket („I’m So F**king Sorry“) Self-reflection and an apology for personal mistakes. „Maybe I got drunk, maybe I screwed it up. I’m sorry, so much.“ Raw honesty, punk penance.
8. Rør är bäst… Ok! („Rør Are the Best… OK!“) A celebration of the band and friends, pure punk euphoria. „We drink beer, smoke weed, make noise – Raka Rør are the best, OK!“
9. Vi var där („We Were There“) Nostalgia for the old days of punk shows and friendship. „Remember those nights? Blood, beer, laughter – we were there.“ About pride in one’s own scene and past.
10. En låda vin och en kompis („A Box of Wine and a Friend“) A melancholic song about friendship and distance. „When we drank wine, everything was simple. Now we miss each other, but I remember.“
11. Lite jävla punk („A Bit of F**king Punk“) Scoffing at pseudo-elitists. „I don’t care that you have a vinyl collection. We play a bit of punk – and that’s enough.“ A manifesto of simplicity and authenticity.
12. Vi spelar punk, ni spelar över („We Play Punk, You Overplay“) About playing with heart, not technique. „Three chords, a couple of beers – and done. We play punk, you overplay it.“
13. En till usel dag („Another Miserable Day“) About everyday despair and routine. „I get up, panic, work, drink, sleep – another miserable day.“ Punk depression with humour.
14. Du kanske borde ta det lugnt („Maybe You Should Take It Easy“) Advice to a friend who is overdoing it. „I remember you, you used to be cool. Now you’re over the limit – maybe slow down.“ Serious, but with perspective.
15. Tack och hej („Thanks and Bye“) A Cock Sparrer cover. Leaving with your head held high. „We started doing it our way, nobody wanted us. Thanks and bye!“ Rather leave than conform.
16. Souvlaki och en stor stark („Souvlaki and a Big Beer“) Slight irony towards snobs. „All I need is souvlaki and a beer, no frills.“ Simplicity as a philosophy.
17. En eftersmak av Marinella („An Aftertaste of Marinella“) A romantic and melancholic memory. „I met her, everything changed – and only the aftertaste of Marinella remained.“ We all know that feeling, right?
18. Hatar du polisen lite mindre nu när du är vuxen? („Do You Hate the Cops a Little Less Now That You’re Grown Up?“) Satire on changing values. „You used to hate the police. Now you say they’re just doing their job?“ The rebellion remains, even if the world has aged.
19. Helt black („Totally DIY / Broke“) About punk independence and living without money. „We pay for everything ourselves, we’re broke, but we live punk.“ DIY as a badge of honour.
20. Spindelapa („Spider-Monkey“) Punk provocation, mockery, and chaos. „The cruster acts tough, but someone needs to be taught a lesson – Oi! Oi! Oi!“

I think this is the longest review I’ve ever written… Anyone expecting the Swedish Philharmonic won’t find it here, but the band’s attitude towards playing and life in general is incredibly appealing, and I enjoy it. Oi! punk in its purest form. A group of guys who drink beer, thrash their instruments, enjoy the joys of life, and wash down the tougher phases with, you guessed it, more beer. Irony, perspective, and fun. The foundation of everything. And of course, the beer.

Top tracks: Jag klarar ingenting, Vi var där, Hatar du polisen lite mindre nu när du är vuxen?

Värdighetens förkämpar is available now on Bandcamp, Spotify, and on cassette from the German label Oi! The Nische Records and the Russian label Clockwork Punk.

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