I am not scowling. But I am Scowling.
Are We All Angels | artist: Scowl | Yes, there will be comparisons to Hole and to Bleach’s fuzzier twists and turns. Yes, there will be “hardcore” boys trying to wring the knots out of their underpants. Yes, there will be complaints about selling out maddeningly typed into Reddit via $1,500 iPhones by people with lifetime Spotify subscriptions.
Who cares? This is a fun and fuzzy pop hardcore thing that sounds to my ears like a cross between California punk and Velocity Girl. I’m here for it.
My biggest criticism is that the whole thing sounds too glossy. And the obsession with catchy choruses gets a bit stale in parts. I'm not the biggest fan of "follow the chords" guitar and bass. But, the vocals win me over. Thank god Scowl isn't fronted by some dude who shouts through every song.
Anyway, accept it for what it is — a lively take on the poppier side of hardcore punk in the year 2025 — 43 years after the release of Bad Religion's first album. Or to put it in perspective, the release of Are We All Angels is as distant from the release of Bad Religion’s debut (and Minor Threat’s, for that matter) as the release of those recordings was from the invasion of Poland and the evacuation of Dunkirk in WWII.
They should be happy with this one. You could definitely do worse (and plenty have). I'm looking forward to what comes next. | 3.5 out of 5 stars
