ALBUM REVIEW: Curses & Prayers – Coughin’ Vicars
Liverpool DIY punks COUGHIN’ VICARS have just released their latest album Curses & Prayers. Heavily inspired by 80s punk, alongside a paranormal legend of a timeslip, the band have a very chaotic style in that there are no rules or logic; they do what they feel like, when they feel like it. What that leaves us with is an album with many twists and turns, and one that is likely to be among the best records you’ve heard in a while.
Whilst mostly focused on all things punk, COUGHIN’ VICARS appear to enjoy branching out into other genres within the rock umbrella. Intro track Lo Behold is a prime example of that, with the band infusing grunge and alternative rock into something dark and intriguing. It’s a little teaser if you will for what’s to come, followed by Anti-Faction that further explores alternative rock in a way that’s not so much loud and in your face, but cool and laidback.
But that soon disappears once Rips Of Rain starts. The song itself is a beautiful collision of grunge, alternative and even new wave, with everything becoming more upbeat and catchier as the track progresses. There’s also a nostalgic element that brings you back to the 00s – it’s hard to explain it, but you’ll feel the same way when you listen too.
No track sounds the same and in every moment there is another exciting thing happening – whether it’s the short but sweet punk tracks like One Cuff Fits All, Doomsday Lottery and Last But Not Least that get straight to the point with angry vocals and a chaotic harmony of noise, or the exploration of alternative rock in songs like The Reach, where the listener can also appreciate how the vocals of Gabriella Rose King and Roman Remains work perfectly together, or the experimentation with unexpected sounds like in The Act where an organ is brought in.
Redefined Zero is fun, catchy and bouncy, and one final standout track is Thief Of Joy that, for the first minute, is purely instrumental, highlighting COUGHIN VICARS‘ skills as musicians before they kick into punk chaos to end the record with a bang.
COUGHIN’ VICARS have made a powerful statement of who they are and what they are here to do, which is to create music with no rules or limitations. You might not have heard of them before, but now you have and they’re here to stay.
Rating: 9/10
Curses & Prayers is out now via Venn Records.
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