ALBUM REVIEW: Silver Tongues – Crows
Emerging in the aftermath of one of the West’s most pivotal social movements of the 20th century, post-punk is a vague and curious sub-genre, and one diverse in aesthetic qualities. From the stark and often horrifying work of bands like SUICIDE to the lean, razorblade musicianship of WIRE, even encompassing the bleak romanticism of JOY DIVISION, it all falls under a single umbrella. Very few bands indulge every aspect in their music, but the newly formed CROWS are a band who seem entirely unafraid to investigate all of these avenues.
It’s key to mention how this group earned their cult-following. In 2018, Bristolian art-punk troupe IDLES released their sophomore effort, the euphoric Joy As An Act Of Resistance, rich in political satire and comedic social insight. It released a shockwave both commercially and critically, landing them spots on many an albums-of-the-year list as well as a heralded performance on Jools Holland. They were the band on everybody’s lips, and they simply appeared incapable of doing wrong. How does this relate to CROWS? Well, when they embarked on their sold-tour UK tour last April, the band opted to take these upstart post-punks out with them as support; the IDLES seal-of-approval even went as far as Joe Talbot signing them to his label, Balley Records. Silver Tongues is their debut album, and it provides an electrifying opening gambit sure to position them as one of the country’s most popular up-and-comers.
Curiously, this album was recorded in conditions as close to total darkness as possible, and this perceived environmental detriment bleeds into the music. The performances are all impressive. James Cox’s vocal stylings are a particular point worthy of praise; he evokes both the humble poetry of Penny Rimbaud as well as the weathered baritone of Nick Cave, switching between both roles with seamless ease. Sam Lister’s blistering drum performance propels this album’s consistent rumbling drone on tracks such as Crawling, while also showing his capability of underpinning the juddering march of Hang Em High. Steve Goddard‘s haunting guitar work performs exquisitely alongside Jith Amarasinghe‘s slithering, playful basslines, a sharp and enjoyable juxtaposition that is present throughout.
CROWS are at their most diverse, however, on the penultimate, 8-minute First Light // False Face, dipping its toes in each of the band’s primary facets. While perhaps the least accessible song on the album, a labyrinthian piece that demands one’s full attention, it is arguably the best representation of this group; displaying their menace in equal measure to their pomp. Furthermore, the production, while humble in its lack of excess, doesn’t suffocate the art. The cavernous reverb allows the songs to roam freely, while underpinned by a rhythm section as taut as a noose in use. While only a four piece, the music boasts rich layers, upheld and nurtured by the tremendous engineering.
Silver Tongues is by no means flawless, however; there are many of the hitches that are common on debut albums, and this results in a lesser album. CROWS employ diverse musical foundations, with some songs building on elements of suspense and drama, while others opt for a more straight-forward and directly effective attack. Their strengths so clearly lie in the former, and yet often they insist on more frantic and sporadic pieces; hopefully, next time out CROWS will either hone their skills in this department to bring it up to scratch or they will absorb themselves fully in the more arcane, borderline-post-rock often present. A key example of this is the opening track and album highlight, Silver Tongues, where the band straddle the bombast of BAUHAUS with the lurching menace of SLINT and modern-day DAUGHTERS – it’s a tremendous moment and the finest example thus far of this band’s talents. The band would be wise to embrace this facet of their personality in the future, and here’s hoping they invest more in it, come their sophomore effort.
CROWS are a perverse and sinister amalgam of DEAD CAN DANCE and FUGAZI, their seductive grandeur matched only by their punkish brute force. It’s a difficult recipe to nail and while they haven’t quite done so here, you would be a food to bet against them doing it in the future. To draw a comparison to their peers, IDLES’ 2017 effort Brutalism was a snarling pit bull of an album, while their follow-up was a diverse and intelligent piece of work. CROWS are likely capable of the same leap, and with that in mind, all eyes should be on them for their next effort. In the meantime, however, they ought to be praised for their achievement, as they are already one of 2018’s standout new bands.
Rating: 8/10
Silver Tongues is out now via Balley Records.
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