‘CRU’, the new 7-inch from Brighton-via-Cornwall bright sparks Gnarwolves has finally landed! They’ve been one of the most talked about new bands in the British punk scene over the last few months after debut five track ‘Fun Club’ impressed at the turn of the year and the band escaped the South East to show their wares up and down the country, and a follow up record has been waited on with baited breath. We’re happy to report that the boys have definitely delivered the goods with EP number two.
Gnarwolves start ‘CRU’ how they mean to go on with some of the catchiest tunes you’ll hear all year – ‘History Is Bunk’ is brilliant, and the fast-paced action of ‘We Want The Whip!’ swiftly keeps your ears content – and on the other side of the coin you’ve got Title fight-esque riffs. The emotion behind each track provides the driving force on the record, and when the dynamics employed by bands like Basement are used on ‘Community, Stability, Identity’ and ‘A Gram Is Better Than A Damn’, you know this is a band to keep an eye on.
Smothered all across ‘CRU’ is the songwriting prowess of Guitarist and vocalist Thom Weeks – skills that were honed from years of experience in former bands and his own solo work. He’s got the technical chops to back it up too, with a powerhouse of a voice that flies over a razor-sharp approach to guitar – all of which are brought out so much more on this release than the last by the improved production. For the same reasons, Charlie Piper and Max Weeks head up a rhythm section that’s sounding bigger and better than ever.
This is definitely the record Gnarwolves needed to release right about now, and by god it’s good. It’ll surely turn more heads, and see the band getting the attention that they deserve. If you’ve read this far and haven’t started listening to ‘CRU’ yet, then consider sorting yourself out NOW and take a listen to a band that you’re going to hear much, much more from in the next 6 months.
JAMES FOX