HANDS OFF GRETEL
I Want The World
PUKE POP
Yorkshire’s power punk/grunge four-piece get personal
Some days all you really want is a fist-punching anthem to clear away the cobwebs. Hands Off Gretel deliver just that on their second album, which moves away from their darker debut’s twisted tales. I Want The World careers head-first into the boisterous world of three-minute melodic punk anthems with a grungy edge, but there’s grit behind those power chords and playful harmonies with songs about body image, mental health and loneliness. Lauren Tate delivers her lyrics with a snarl that sits somewhere between Brody Dalle and Courtney Love. Hands
Off Gretel proudly wear their influences on The Distillers-esque riot of opener Kiss Me Girl, the heart-wrenching It’s My Fault, which sounds like P!nk covering Radiohead, and Milk, which is packed with L7 riffs and melodies borrowed from Nirvana. A brash and addictive 12-track that demands repeated listens. ■■■■■■■■■■
FOR FANS OF: Hole,
The Distillers, L7 for Norwegian Viking metal. Their latest fulllength will only strengthen their reputation as innovators as it sees them once again set sail for new sonic pastures. Drawing inspiration from the weather of their hometown and the ljóðaháttr, an Old Norse alliterative verse form, Rignir leaves behind the orchestral, brass featuring sounds of 2017’s IandawarijaR and instead focuses more on clean vocals and morose melodies to complement their progpeppered black metal attack. Sinister slow-burner Hagl, which builds to an incendiary pay-off, and the epic Kaldr both impress, but it’s Stormviðri that steals the show. Super-melodic and seriously catchy, it could signal the start of yet another bold new direction for the band. ■■■■■■■■■■
FOR FANS OF: Ulver, Seigmen, Vulture Industries records with the Dischord, Kill Rock Stars and Simple Machines labels back in the mid-90s. From the poundingly hymnal Lay Waste, Child to the sparkling Spider Jar, Noctiluca offers a treasure trove of aural wonders to be discovered – you just have to be willing to dive deep down into some dark, uncharted waters to find them. ■■■■■■■■■■
FOR FANS OF: Big Business, Smart Went Crazy, Jawbox
Where EP is short for ‘Epic Potential’