EP REVIEW: The Hissing – Pave The Jungle

It must be a strange time to be in a fledgling band. Closed venues, local lockdowns and an apathetic government all mean that the traditional paths towards musical ascendency are now dark alleyways, vague and fraught temporal zones full of unknowns and uncertainties. Newcastle’s PAVE THE JUNGLE, who formed only last summer, have known little else except this brave new world, and are now faced with the task of navigating its myriad complexities. Fortunately, The Hissing is a decent start to this heady challenge, a glimmer of light cast confidently into the darkness.

Formed by front-woman Rachael Whittle following the dissolution of her previous outfit, from the off it’s more than apparent that PAVE THE JUNGLE are a tight and assured unit. The six tracks on The Hissing are muscular, varied and handsomely produced, all ringing with confidence and the sense that Whittle and co know exactly what sort of band they want to be. Recorded with Chris McManus at Blank Studios (PIGS X7, RICHARD DAWSON), The Hissing sounds like a million dollars, with booming drums, crystal clear guitars and Whittle’s spacious, deep vocal tones. It makes for an easy and engaging listen, with a healthy dose of youthful arrogance that forces you to imagine a different world where PAVE THE JUNGLE have spent this summer just gone impressing at festivals and showcases all across the country.

Sonically, The Hissing is a happy amalgamation of several different styles of alternative rock. There’s a lot of PIXIES and their chaotic idiosyncrasies, some ANNA CALVI in Whittle’s vocals, along with a fair bit of British acts such as TWIN ATLANTIC, THE XCERTS and FATHERSON in the track’s dynamics and tones. Fix is especially heavy, opening with a vibrant, lively crash of drums and huge guitars which along with Emerald and Cookie Cutter, show the wild and looser side of PAVE THE JUNGLE. Then there’s the other half of the EP, which although not necessarily the ‘quieter’ half, does feature songs with a touch more poise and delicacy, especially closer Jelly, which is The Hissing’s standout track. It possesses an emotional nakedness that the other slightly more acerbic tracks lack and functions as the perfect, soaring closer to the EP.

It’s more than evident that PAVE THE JUNGLE have arrived as a fully formed band, and The Hissing proves a strong calling card. There’s greater things to come from the band, and it’ll be interesting to see if their quirks and character remain intact across a full-length work. But for now, The Hissing is a decent introduction to a band with real potential, as long as they can navigate this bizarre new world.

Rating: 7/10

The Hissing is out now via self-release.

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