Brutalligators - Friends I Wish I’d Had
BRUTALLIGATORS GET AMPED ON ‘FRIENDS I WISH I’D HAD’
Post-indie-punk outfit Brutalligators released their new EP, called Friends I Wish I’d Had, on July 12, on the Real Ghost Records label.
Brutalligators
Friends I Wish I’d Had is the band’s second EP, following on the heels of their debut EP, Animals I Wish I’d Seen.
Made up of Luke Murphy-Wearmouth, Paul Wade, Rhys Kirkman, and Simon Lee, I discovered this grand EP on one of my dumpster dives through Bandcamp’s ‘New Arrivals.’ According to their Bandcamp and Facebook pages, Brutalligators “are a four-piece pile of limbs from South East UK. They play energetic and happy sounding songs about heartbreak, life going wrong, and all of the injustices in the world today.”
Encompassing five-tracks, the EP starts off with “Crows,” which opens on simmering gleaming guitars topped by a great voice with a thick accent. As the guitars gather energy, the tune takes on a contagious layered resonance consisting of shiny riffs topping darker more muscular guitars.
“We’re Not Excited” rides thick, dirty, beefy guitars traveling on a brawny rhythm provided by a fatly thrumming bassline and taut crisp drums. Listen to the bass on this track, it’s stellar – dense and gooey. Twin layers of guitars infuse the tune with depth and beau coup dimension, an aspect of Brutalligators music both unique and seductive.
“Free” is definitely one of the highlights on the EP because of its pop-punk vitality combined with silky harmonic progression.
“Free” begins on psychedelic-like colors flowing into softly shimmering guitars and a spectacular rhythm, tight and right and pulsing with throbbing dynamism. The harmonics ramp up on the chorus, attaining wall-of-sound concentration, yet remaining melodic. On the verses, the flow of the music delivers creamy flow infected with latent colors. “Free” is definitely one of the highlights on the EP because of its pop-punk vitality combined with silky harmonic progression.
“Kill Your Heroes” is pure raw punk, surging with angry oomph.
The band explained the track to Punk Rock Theory, saying, "KYH was written back in 2017, after the news of abuse claims against both PWR BTM and The Football Club. Both featured respected, outspoken idols in marginalised communities abusing their power and position to be horrible people. It was so sad and angering, and since then it's been one after the other. Powerful people (mostly men) taking advantage of their privilege, power and position for their own sexual gain. We're fucking sick of it."
“D Word” rides a potent pop-punk melody rife with glittering hues. The rhythm on this track is hecka-infectious, full of a titanic bassline and finessed drumming.
Friends I Wish I’d Had is better than good, entering the realm of superb because of the yummy vocals and surging pop-punk flavors.
