Haggard Cat
The Pain That Orbits Life
The thing that comes to mind most when listening to Haggard Cat’s new album is Mike Kerr from Royal Blood’s strop about an ambivalent, non-rock crowd from a couple of years ago. Not because that’s what Haggard Cat are becoming—perish the thought!—but because it highlights the stupidity of the whole situation. Imagine being in a band with about half an idea for your entire career, and still feeling entitled to wear your rock-snob colours with embarrassing candour. Meanwhile, there’s Haggard Cat proving that similarly loud, riff-centric rock duos can be cool and exciting, more than ever on The Pain That Orbits Life.
One of the good things about Haggard Cat is how the unpredictability of HECK’s DNA has persisted so long. The hardcore napalm strikes of their past life are becoming more and more of a memory now, but can still be felt in how alt-rock is approached. In their fearlessness, Haggard Cat break the seven- and ten-minute mark with Apnoea and Halcyon respectively, and never overreach in doing so. Both wind on, stuffed with dynamics and progressive momentum, barrel-chested in their creative might. They’re the apogee of the duo’s post-hardcore impulses that are instrumental to this album—as heated as Nails; as sandstone-hard as Suppressor; as colossal as Landscapes.
At the same time, The Pain That Orbits Life is also the hook-heaviest that a Haggard Cat album has been by a huge margin. It’s hard to say what precise switch has been flipped, but you feel its influence on Soar, Halcyon and Warpath especially. They’re reminiscent of unpeople’s approach, as the most insatiable, addictive melodies known to man are couched in a pretty stellar alt-rock beatdown. The difference with Haggard Cat, though, is in their feral, unkempt execution. The sharp synth accents whir as a dismissal of inherent uniformity (though never feel like clutter), and Matt Reynolds can holler and gnash with the best of ‘em, even if you’d never call him a pretty singer. It’s that hardcore spirit that’s present wholesale in Haggard Cat, driving and crystallising the thrills all the more.
Thus, The Pain That Orbits Life truly is the epitome of what ‘real’ rock music in this form should be. It does away with the safe and the anodyne, while never dropping its melodic thread for even a moment. It’s a marvel how little space is wasted here. So of course it’s Haggard Cat’s best album; that doesn’t feel up for debate. But more than that, it’s one of the starkest reminders you’ll get of how explorative, diverse and fun even the most straightforward of rock can be. Pretty terrific.
For fans of: unpeople, Marmozets, Black Peaks
‘The Pain That Orbits Life’ by Haggard Cat is released on 8th May on Church Road Records.
The Flatliners
Cold World
Of the myriad alt-punks pumping out their heartfelt missives on the regular, The Flatliners are…one of them. They’re not bad; they’re not one you’d immediately go for, either, not when there’s a Hot Water Music or Menzingers to hand. Frontman Chris Cresswell doesn’t sound like he’s made exclusively of beard and sawdust, so that’s something. It actually puts them closer to someone like Billy Talent overall, and though the familiarity of their game remains, it’s presented more sharply. Cold World, as such, takes a more adrenalised form, fitting for a vision cast outwards at humanity’s apparent hatred of itself, the world around it and everything in between.
It’s the sort of purposeful romp that The Flatliners could pull off in their sleep and backwards. Not an aspect feels slack or unsure of itself, from Cresswell’s acerbic (and often really well-multilayered) bite, to a firm, urgent guitar foundation, to a rhythm section that’s nice, present and powerful. It’s the expected platter of alt-punk goodstuff, hitting the bar without bothering it too much. And while that does work against them in scene-specific terms—a Ragan chorus can make the earth move; a Cresswell chorus can’t—Cold World is so unerringly solid regardless. The Flatliners have nothing up their sleeve that’ll disrupt the style, but there’s just as little to dislike about them, as well.
For fans of: Billy Talent, Hot Water Music, Against Me!
‘Cold World’ by The Flatliners is released on 8th May on Rude Records.
Red Vanilla
Where I Should Be
There was a time not too long ago where the phrase ‘new Scottish alt-rock band’ would’ve spewed out a mere Twin Atlantic-alike ready to be forgotten in a hurry. Red Vanilla, however, are now two releases for two in taking those familiar building blocks and aiming a lot higher. Even next to their debut Days Of Grey, the numerous legs up are apparent. There’s more prevalent synth and acoustic work, and a gloss overlaying the crunch akin to latter-day Wolf Alice in places. Above all, though, there’s just an undisturbably solid alt-rock band within Red Vanilla, surging out on the riff-storm of Hazy and the ‘90s-tilting Ask Her If She’s Happy.
Also impressive is how Red Vanilla don’t appear as a work in progress of any kind. Them growing so much between debut and sophomore releases should say mountains to that, but even Where Should I Be on its own gives that off. Across seven tracks, there’s a meaty swatch of repertoire explored, with few loose edges to be seen. Add on Anna Forsyth as a bona fide powerhouse vocalist already, and Red Vanilla have blown past their ‘just starting out’ status with aplomb. They could do with one nailed-on hit to really seal the deal; otherwise, you’ve got one of the most promising down-the-centre rock bands in the country, already raring to go. Whenever it comes, a full album could be something special.
For fans of: Wolf Alice, Queens Of The Stone Age, Twin Atlantic
‘Where I Should Be’ by Red Vanilla is released on 8th May.
Words by Luke Nuttall
