Album Reviews
Three years after their debut, UK punk outfit Gnarwolves are finally back with a new album. While I liked the band’s self-titled debut, I found the continuous thrashing a bit too repetitive to make it truly stand out. Consider that problem fixed on “Outsiders”.
The start of opening track and previously released single “Straitjacket” comes off like a band showing up, plugging in and then wasting no time in getting straight to the point. It’s fast, raw, energetic and doesn’t outstay its welcome by a second. Oh, and it comes with one helluva catchy chorus.
The other nine tracks on here stick to the same formula. Big, melodic hooks, zero fucks given and let the chips fall where they may. They might move things along a bit faster on a song like “Paint Me A Martyr”, channel their inner Weezer in the poppy “Argument” or get downright epic on the seven minute long closer that is “Shut Up”, but the result is always more than just satisfactory.
It might have taken them three long years, but “Outsiders” will go a long way of establishing Gnarwolves as one of the UK’s premier punk rock bands.
Track listing:
- Straitjacket
- Car Crash Cinema
- Wires
- Paint Me A Martyr
- English Kids
- Argument
- The Comedown Song
- Talking To Your Ghost
- Channelling Brian Molko
- Shut Up
Lacking the talent to actually play in a band, Tom decided he would write about bands instead. Turns out his writing skills are mediocre at best as well.
