Crows - Beware Believers (Bad Vibrations 
Records)
Release Date: Out Now
This is the second album from London outfit Crows and it has tapped in to a very rich seam of dark, dystopian and brutalist aesthetics which speaks very strongly to the current state of British society and the prevailing mood in the world. 'Beware Believers' was recorded around a schedule of hide and seek (with knives) and that intensity and darkness comes through strongly throughout so take a deep breath and let's dive in. The first of the eleven tracks is 'Closer Still' and it opens with a rusty buzzsaw of a riff before the power house drums and bass join in and then the Blinders-esque vocals start spitting out from the shadows with dead eyed concentration. 'Garden of England' continues with the same energy and intensity which is part the Stooges, part Queens of the Stone age and part IDLES all mixed together with petrol, vodka and razor blades for maximum impact.
The death drone of 'Only Time' is sinister in the extreme with a Clockwork Orange vibe while 'Slowly Separate' strips back the intro drums and bass before a searing guitar riff cuts through the night air and the direct and unforgiving vocal jabs at you like Fontaines D.C. backed in to the corner of a boxing ring. There is a swagger of Nick Cave proportions about 'Moderation' as those deep and suave vocals provide the perfect foil to the clash of guitars that come clattering out of the darkest parts of your soul. The halfway point is marked by 'Healing', a song that would fit perfectly in a film where the protagonist is preparing for the big showdown with a foe far more powerful then they are.
The sheer unrelenting power of this album is impressive in its own right but when you compare that to the similarly unrelenting grimness of life in Brexit Britain for those living in a Heating or Eating economy then it all kind of makes sense. 'Room 156' is the standout track on this album for me as the darkness and power is met by real style and swagger with intoxicating effect. Moving on to 'Meanwhile' and there is a more brooding menace as the vocals sit slightly lower in the mix, letting the guitars swirl around like the bees around Nick Cage's face in the Wicker Man. The combination of bass line and title on 'Wild Eyed & Loathsome' makes me want to go out immediately to get a tattoo while 'The Servant' gives you a blast of pure rock'n'roll straight in to your eyeball and it feels fantastic. The album closes with 'Sad Lad' and the very real feeling that you're teetering on the precipice of a moment that will define the rest of your life. Intense, brutal, unrelenting, powerful, urgent and necessary. Everything music should be and everything we need right now.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/crowsband
Live Dates:
6th April - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
8th April - YES, Manchester
9th April - Muthers Studio, Birmingham
10th April - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
11th April - The Garage/The Attic, Glasgow
12th April - Sidney & Matilda, Sheffield
13th April - Scala, London
17th April - Paradiso, Amsterdam
18th April - Botanique, Brussels
20th April - Molotov, Hamburg
21st April - Maschinenhaus, Berlin
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