Review Summary: Fuck your party, I'm sleeping in.
English kids Gnarwolves have been pumping out raw, two minute punk anthems since 2011. After the release of several well-received EPs and one full length album, the band took some time off. Judging the book by its cover, new record ‘Outsiders’ is very different from previous releases. The cover art is ‘pretty’ instead of ‘fun’ and half of the songs pass the three minute mark.
Opener ‘Straitjacket’ is a typical Gnarwolves song. Overflowing with energy, the track is quick, catchy and perfect to get a crowd moving at live shows. Like most of the record, the song feels more restricted than older Gnarwolves material, in the best way possible. Throughout ‘Outsiders’, the band knows when to hold back and let the music breathe. ‘Talking to Your Ghost’ is the best example of this, using Gnarwolves’ newfound sense of dynamics to create a slower, grungy track. Thankfully, ‘The Comedown Song’ shows that the band has not lost their ability to write quick, aggressive punk anthems. The track features the lines ‘*** your party, I’m sleeping in’, indicating a surprising lyrical shift for Gnarwolves. On previous releases the only things on the punks’ minds seemed to be drinking, smoking and partying, whereas ‘Outsiders’ has a way more serious tone. Vocalist Thom Weeks focuses on tackling his own self doubt for most of the record. While definitely not new or original, Weeks’ lyricism feels genuine. Despite being the catchiest, most upbeat track on the record, ‘Wires’ shows Gnarwolves’ bleakest side: ‘I slept for days, but I didn’t dream. I’ll walk the wire, the balance beam’.
While there are no obvious problems to be found on ‘Outsiders’, the record can feel a bit monotonous at times. There is enough variety, but the simplistic instrumentation might bore some listeners. Thankfully, Weeks’ vocal delivery is genuine and convincing enough to keep the album interesting for the full 33 minutes. The melodies truly shine due to clean, yet not too polished production. 7-minute (!) closer ‘Shut Up’ perfectly sums up the album: it’s honest, catchy punk that is sure to create steaming pits at shows in basements, despite being more restricted and ‘mature’ than before.
