Title: Some Thing
Format Reviewed: MP3
Format Released:19th February 2016
Reviewed By: Kate Campbell
The second EP, Some Thing, from this South East London four-piece is explosive, energetic and lives up to the substantial hype. You should probably get used to reading those words in this review.
The first track, Slug, explodes in your ear holes from the get-go. It really frustrates me that I can't adequately describe how much this track got under my skin. I keep trying to liken it to Fugazi but even that didn't give this post-hardcore band the credit they were due. The vocals are fierce, angry and demand you listen up. The layering of guitar, bass and drums is near-perfect in its dirtiness and technical stylings. Scattered throughout are some tender vocals breaking up the fury of the overall song which slowly ramps up to this incredible sense of urgency that underlies the whole sound of the band.
Protagonist made my heart sing in the awesome, early-Refused inspired guitar opening riff. Seriously. Let's open this pit up. This track doesn't quite have the fury of the opener and at times sounds like a classic straight-up hardcore song (the breakdown in particular), yet it still feels fresh. The drawn-out vocals of the main hook are remarkable in their energy. It's a call to action as well as a declaration that this band will make no goddamn apologies and like the song says, you can just deal with it.
Separated, the last official track on Some Thing has some really interesting guitar work in the intro before abruptly changing tempo with the beginning of the verse. This really works in the song's favour, especially highlighting the mournful lyrical stylings. It's more melodic than the previous two tracks on this EP, however that does not mean it lacks in aggression. The vocals contrast between sweet singing which will break your heart and vicious screaming which takes no prisoners, and it's this contrast that gives this song so much soul. Every part of the band is coming together in this track to be at times beautifully tragic... and then when you least expect it Separated will jarringly jump to righteous anger. The vocal screams deny any unwarranted sympathy and demand the listener takes action and not put up with anyone's shit.
The following tracks on Some Thing are actually from Petrol Girls' 2014 self-titled EP, and will be included on CD versions of the EP as bonus tracks. Restless, in what I am quickly learning, is classic Petrol Girls styling, exploding in your ears with fierce energy, sounding like a deranged love child between Bikini Kill, Refused and early The Bronx. This song kills, down to every last detail. The guitar is furious, the drumming frantic and there are even some actual wolf howling vocals at about the 1:20 mark. There are some quieter melodic interludes in this track, highlighting the femininity of the band, however the ever-present screams do not allow them to be defined by it. Yeah. There are chicks in this post-hardcore band. Get over it. This song proclaims inclusivity for all: which in punk music is often preached and all too often ignored.
Next we have System, a throwback to old school riot grrrrl: Kathleen Hanna would be proud of this firecracker of a number. This track features dirty, angry guitar strums overlayed by soft and delicate harmonies which then seamlessly transfers into screeches about a system of brutality. This song is a perfect example of classic hardcore done fresh for new ears. Some listeners might write this band off as an unnecessary remake of a genre standard but I cannot back that. Petrol Girls' influences are clear but I doubt anyone could have predicted how good and innovative this whole band, and indeed this EP, sounds.
Disgrace, the final track, begins dark and grungy, from the guitar to the bass to the drums. There is no lone voice singing here, haunting harmonies floating and intertwining around a stern, unforgiving guitar. The band's underlying tone of refusing to be overlooked is in the forefront of this song, with the vocal work coming to a head around 1:45 actually telling the world that they will not be ignored. This is a mad jam of a breakdown, ending with a scream of ‘what did you expect?’ reaffirming my hunch that this band is not here to fuck around. They are here to say something and also if you like, make you slam dance.
The fade out to nothing signalling the end of your musical journey gave me a chance to breathe and process the fact that I just listened to something exceptional. I can't pick a favourite song or even moment of this effort from Petrol Girls. Every track was a banger, every moment exceeded my expectations. They're supporting punk rock staples H2O on an upcoming tour this month. All I can say is that H2O better bring their A-game. They're going to need it to keep up with Petrol Girls.
No comments:
Post a Comment