There is a very confrontational and uncompromising vibe to Lurcher, not just musically but in the barked and often barking mad lyrics that goes with it, a blend of The Fall’s “did you spill my pint” intimidation, Gang of Four’s rap-spoken word salvos and the snarky social stance of Sleaford Mods, only with some decent music to back it up.
This second EP carries on where With Love left off, and perhaps defines the band’s signature sound even more precisely. The guitars are more intense, more angular, more squalling; the drums are more brutal; the bass is more depth-charged; and the vocals are even scarier than before.
“Punchline” opens in a riot of Pixies-esque chaos before descending into a world-weary mindset, seeming to lick its wounds before returning to the fray and taking no prisoners. “Blistered in Turkey” feels like the sound of indie music melting in the intense heat as reflection and intense sunburn take their toll, and “Quad Biking” blends razor-wire riffs with an almost tribal, hypnotic blend of beat and pulsing four-string uppercut. This is not music for the faint-hearted.
Maybe it isn’t just that “Bad Gag” is necessarily bigger, the sound was always big, but it is certainly more…more precise, more prescient, more uncompromising, more sweary, more sonically violent, more….well, just more, more of what made Lurcher so great from the start, refining things (well, refine might not be the right word) down to the very essence of what the band is.
Approach with caution!
