If you’ve never heard of or taken the time to listen to Gnarwolves, now is the time. This September, these UK gents will be releasing their full-length, self-titled album, and a week later, heading out on a US tour with three of the biggest names in pop punk: The Wonder Years, The Story So Far, and Modern Baseball.
The record is one of the best and truest representations of Gnarwolves; it contains little parts of everything that makes them a great band: chaotic songwriting, dizzyingly fast punk sections, melodic, yet gruff, harmonies, and slow, grinding sections that throw you into a haze are all peppered in throughout the 10-song album.
There are a lot of high points on the album. “Prove It” starts off the record right as a fast, heavy-hitting anthem predominantly featuring the lyric, “All I need is all I have”. “Bottle To Bottle”, which starts with a great guitar/vocal intro reminiscent of something Brand New would appreciate, expectedly turns into a song about drinking, but a more serious and meaningful one. “Smoking Kills” is the single from the record and rightly so; it’s catchy, fast, and contains the biggest sing-a-long section in any Gnarwolves song, or in any song for that matter.
“Ebb” and “Flow” are easily the two best songs on the entire record. "Flow" being the key to both songs' success as they seamlessly blend into one another as if they are one cohesive entity, which seems obvious considering the song names. “Ebb” drudges along and builds to a majestic climax before speeding into the first verse of “Flow”, which contains much of the best lyrical work on the entire album, along with the catchiest guitar and vocal riffs. These are the only two songs I immediately felt the urge to replay upon hearing them.
The album also has its faults: it takes a couple songs to really build into something special and the middle of the record, though still stellar in its own, takes far more time to grow on the listener as opposed to much of the immediacy of the other songs. The last track, “Eat Dynamite, Kid” is stellar, but contains an unnecessary hidden track that doesn’t really add anything to the experience, other than a stellar-sounding guitar riffing that begins right as the song’s breakdown fades into nothingness. The production and distortion in every song also makes it hard to listen to the record in extended periods as it really wears on the listener’s ears.
All in all, Gnarwolves sounds like they’re having fun on this record and that’s something I can get behind. They’re a group of guys singing about life, growing up, drinking, smoking, and enjoying what you have for what it is. The band is one you can go into the bar and drink with or sing along with and it’ll be entertaining either way. Definitely take some time to check out the band's self-titled album when it drops this September and keep a keen eye out for more from a band about to blow up in the US.
Tracklist:
1. Prove It
2. Boneyard
3. Everything You Think You Know
4. Bottle To Bottle
5. Smoking Kills
6. Day Man
7. Hate Me
8. Ebb
9. Flow
10. Eat Dynamite, Kid
RIYL: Punk, Lifetime, Turnover, Brand New, weed
Rating:
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