A new Cock Sparrer record brings me back to my high school years, when I would wait for the mailman to come to my door with all the newest punk records I ordered from fanzines to arrive.
Of course, now I don’t need to send money through the mail and hope that the label/band doesn’t pocket my 16-year-old’s paycheck—which only happened once, for the record. And there’s so many options these days for a band like Cock Sparrer as far as format; 
Hand On Heart is available on LP (colored or picture disc), CD and cassette.
But let’s get to the music.
“With My Hand On My Heart” begins the listen with an immediate, anthemic sing-along that spotlights Colin McFaull’s gritty yet harmonic vocals and Steve Bruce’s hard hitting and rhythmic drumming. “Mind Your Own Business” follows with some good advice, where Mick Beaufoy’s charged guitar suits the gang vocal, and “Rags To Riches” follows with more thumping and energetic punk rock that sounds like it could have been penned in the early ’80s, just as much as it’s relevant in 2024.
The back half of the listen continues the formula with the razor-sharp melodies and playful bass from Steve Burgess on “Take It On The Chin.” “One Way Ticket,” one of the record’s best, then benefits from the fiery rhythm section and some rock’n’roll guitar playing that’s even danceable, sort of.
The last two tracks are great, too, where “My Forgotten Dream,” I kid you not, brings in strings for the punk-intimacy, and “Here We Stand” exits with timeless, driving punk that’s full of fist-pumping, pit-leaping, bristling song craft.
If you identify with anything punk related, you simply cannot pass Cock Sparrer up. They are among the best.