ALBUM REVIEW: Elbows Out! This is Capitalism – Pet Needs
Folk-punk four piece PET NEEDS have been on the radar for many people for a while, with their general charisma and likeability drawing people in. For anybody lucky enough to have seen them live, playing shows is clearly their strength, displaying an infectious energy and the ability to get any crowd moving, and through consistent touring over the last few years, they’ve started to gather a following. Elbows Out! This is Capitalism is their fourth studio album, and based on past releases, this album could be really promising.
Setting the concept for the album, The Auctioneer brings a fast-paced, stressful, and pretty bleak energy, transitioning seamlessly into Tour Worn, which is intense from the offset, and a bit heavier than usual from the band. With a catchy chorus and relentless guitars, PET NEEDS are angrier and more frustrated this time around. Hey You Hey You (Are You Are You OK OK) is almost a pop-punk classic, with a call and response and some cool riffs, it’s obvious this one will go down really well live. Commenting on the state of the world is always something that will divide opinion, but Ducklings feels like a fresher take, and isn’t trying to force any false positivity, which is somewhat a relief. Some Advice is another interlude, but it doesn’t feel out of place, introducing a level of honesty and personality.
As the album continues, many of the songs follow the same format, (which works well for the band), with The Wardrobe Song, Party With A Hard T, and Top Score feeling very much like a party at the end of the world, and the latter being a personal favourite. The lyrics are bleak, but the sound is fun enough to counteract this. The band are feeling frustrated, but it feels like this brings a deeper level to the music, which they probably needed. Pixels is a slight change of tone, and the more dystopian sound and production is cinematic. The lyrics can tend to state the obvious, but the more satirical bridge brings the song back to something meaningful. Listening is another completely necessary interlude, bringing the members of the band to the forefront, and it’s maybe the most relatable we see them. The energy changes again, this time with The Ship Is Still Sinking, demonstrating the conflicting feelings between wanting to give up but also not being ready to let go. This is a proper folk-punk track, feeling like the band are really pushing themselves here and branching out.
Paintballs changes the sound completely, bringing a way darker, haunting energy with an almost slam poetry sound, clearly very vulnerable. The album closes out with Can We Get This Straight, leaving it on a heartbreaking note. The deeply honest lyricism is where PET NEEDS thrive, and the sound reflects this, creating a bleak, overwhelming atmosphere.
Elbows Out! This is Capitalism is possibly PET NEEDS’ best yet, simply because it feels as though they have finally unlocked their missing piece: complete vulnerability. When the band are trying to be nobody but themselves, they create something incredible.
Rating: 8/10
Elbows Out! This Is Capitalism is out now via Xtra Mile Recordings.
Like PET NEEDS on Facebook.