ALBUM REVIEW: PK Bats – PK Bats
Upcoming post-punk band PK BATS are about to put out their self-titled debut full-length following their release of their 2022 demo EP. The Edinburgh-based trio came together over a shared love of emotionally intense topics and artists like HOT SNAKES and WIPERS for their ‘sonically raw’ performances. What can be immediately said about PK BATS is their chemistry as a band is impressive, with every note fitting together nicely to produce solid punk tracks that feel modern and nostalgic, although you can’t shake the feeling that they’re holding back from doing something epic.
At first, when it comes to the opening songs, you’ll find yourself immediately taken in by the band’s take on punk and alternative rock that adds a theatrical twist. The tracks in question – Panic Rites, 1922 Breakdown and I Witnessed A Drowning – feel heavily inspired by an era of punk with names like THE DAMNED coming to mind with their inclusion of gothic and psychedelic elements. In fact, you could easily picture Dave Vanian performing live on stage with these songs.
Everything comes nicely together with the theatrics, the chemistry, the fantastic vocals, and instrumental breakdowns, so why is this album partially underwhelming? Yes, the songs sound great and have a polished production, but they mostly follow the same type of formula to the point where they start to merge into one long track. Furthermore, in moments where you feel everything is about to kick off in the best way it just, well, doesn’t.
It’s disappointing, especially in tracks Black Mark and The Return which start off intriguing with fast intros or a cool bass that adds energy, but somehow still feel like everything is being held back. That’s not to say that everything is like this, some moments that stand out include Common Calamity which has a lovely droning guitar bringing in that psychedelic influence, and A Better Tomorrow, which acts as a homage to John Woo’s film of the same name. It’s a fun song with chaotic lyrics that if you didn’t know the context you would think were about a wild night out.
As said, it’s frustrating that everything is there for this to be an incredible record yet moments that should be epic just don’t seem to happen. This is a nicely polished punk record and the band sound great, but it feels like they could be doing so much more. Granted, this is their debut album, and for this being their first full-length it’s a good start. PK BATS have the potential to go far, so let’s hope that future releases will allow them to truly show off their talents.
Rating: 6/10
PK Bats is set for release on August 25th via Let’s Get Hurt Records.
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