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CROWS

Crows

Reason Enough

    Crows have arrived. ‘Reason Enough’, their third studio album, is the one the band have taken the longest to write. Partly because they had to fit the exercise around working full-time jobs, but also because of the freedom that was afforded to them around this specific project, which takes the post-punk four piece’s historically adrenaline-fuelled sound into fresh territory. Though the band’s punk spirit remains intact, sonically, they’re more refined and cohesive than ever; it’s the most mature Crows have ever sounded, without compromising any of their intrinsic grit. Following 2022's 'Beware Believers' and their 2019 debut 'Silver Tongues', 'Reason Enough' lands September 27th 2024 via Bad Vibrations.

    For the occasion, James Cox (vocals), Steve Goddard (guitar), Jith Amarasinghe (bass) and Sam Lister (drums), swapped their usual rehearsal space, a small studio in Homerton, East London, for the cavernous walls of a “weird little studio” – as Goddard puts it – in Stroud, Gloucestershire. More specifically, a former Catholic church and convent where the band parked themselves up in the crypt, which was more conducive to inspiring the foundations for ‘Reason Enough’. “Having a more relaxed approach this time around meant we could explore different stuff,” Goddard says. “We don’t want to sound the same as we did before – this is our third album, we have to move on. And so we fucked around a bit more.”

    Armed with dozens of ideas, they returned to London in a bid to finesse them all alongside Mercury Prize-nominated producer and master of the polished indie record Andy Savours (Black County, New Road, My Bloody Valentine). The result: a concise, 10-track album which goes a long way to show Crows’ sonic versatility. It’s more melodic work than what Crows have previously done, “rather than being all-out punk”, as Goddard puts it. “It feels less lo-fi, cleaner and more well-rounded as a result,” Cox adds.

    Lyrically, Cox drew heavily from a difficult year, both personally and in terms of facing up to a heavy-going news cycle. “I went pretty unhappy with the lyrics and vocals,” he says. “I wanted to moan a bit. If the last album was angrier, this one is definitely sadder.” Indeed, a general sense of malaise, isolation, unease and a desire for growth in spite of it all permeate ‘Reason Enough’ – an album which strikes a satisfying balance between existentialism, soul-searching, and a discerning brand of indie-rock: “We’re doing the same thing, but a lot better. This is Crows in high definition.”


    TRACK LISTING

    Side A
    1) Reason Enough
    2) Bored
    3) Is It Better?
    4) Vision Of Me
    5) Land Of The Rose

    Side B
    6) Every Day Of Every Year
    7) Lie To Me
    8) Living On My Knees
    9) Silhouettes
    10) D-Gent

    These Arms Are Snakes

    Duct Tape & Shivering Crows

      Over the course of their seven-year run back in the ‘00s, These Arms Are Snakes covered a lot of territory, both in terms of actual miles spent on the road and in terms of their creative bandwidth. Though the band was often mistaken for a typical non sequitur-named screamo out­t or another “animal” indie band, the Seattle group quickly de­ed expectations and garnered a reputation for subverting the popular underground sounds of time. The group cultivated a small but fervent fanbase across multiple continents with their signature combination of synth-infused noise rock, bad-trip psychedelia, ‑amboyant proto-metal boogie, and unhinged basement-show hardcore before imploding at the end of 2009.

      And while These Arms Are Snakes’ full-length albums remain ­tting testaments to the band’s frantic urgency and stylistic ‑uidity, there is a treasure trove of deep cuts buried on b-sides and split releases that further reinforce their position as one of the weirdest and wildest acts of the decade. For the fi­rst time, those rarities and one-offs have been compiled into a cohesive overview of These Arms Are Snakes’ lifespan on the double LP Duct Tape & Shivering Crows.

      STAFF COMMENTS

      Barry says: The inimitable TAAS return for a final outing of lesser-publicised extras and b-sides. With every bit of the grinding groove of their earlier full-length LP's, this collection shows what an incendiary and unique musical force they were, and shows off some of the tragically overlooked gems from their oeuvre.

      TRACK LISTING

      1. Meet Your Mayor
      2. Camera Shy
      3. Trix
      4. Energy Drink And The Long Walk Home
      5. Heart Shaped Box
      6. Washburn
      7. Old Paradise
      8. Payday Loans
      9. Hook On This
      10. Riding The Grape Dragon
      11. Run It Through The Dog
      12. Diggers Of Ditches Everywhere
      13. The Blue Rose

      Crows

      Silver Tongues

        London's Crows are the latest signing to Balley Records (IDLES, Heavy Lungs, Lice) and will deliver their long-awaited debut album "Silver Tongues" on March 22nd. The album's thrilling first single "Chain Of Being", was recently Lamacq's Livener on 6 Music, is a real statement: a widescreen slice of post-punk that combines heaviness and brooding melody in equal measures. Joe Talbot said the following of his decision to sign Crows to his Balley Records label: "I saw them play at the Louisiana in Bristol a few years ago and both the performance and the quality of their songs blew me away. Everything about them excites me; so when I heard they were looking to release an album, I had no choice but to chase them. It's a dream to work with them.”. 

        TRACK LISTING

        1. Silver Tongues
        2. Demeanour
        3. Empyrean
        4. Wednesday's Child
        5. Hang Me High
        6. Crawling 
        7. Chain Of Being 
        8. Tired And Failed
        9. First Light / False Face
        10. Dysphoria

        Ethan Johns is renowned for the vividness and purity of his productions with the likes of Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne, Laura Marling and Paul McCartney. But Johns has always worn more than one hat; for starters, he’s an accomplished musician on a variety of instruments. He first came into view as the drummer/guitar player with Crosby, Stills and Nash and then as a guitarist in Emmylou Harris’ band, and subsequently, as a producer, Johns frequently contributed on both sides of the control room glass. Everything Johns has done during the course of his distinguished and varied career has led him to this deep, enthralling album. “The fact that I’ve been playing and performing as much as I have the last few years is showing in the performances that we got on this record, and I’m happy to be progressing". Ethan Johns’ musical explorations to continue to warrant—and reward—our rapt attention.

        TRACK LISTING

        1. Silver Liner
        2. The Sun Hardly Rises
        3. I Don't Mind
        4. Juanita
        5. It Won't Always Be This Way
        6. Open Your Window
        7. Six And Nine
        8. Dark Fire
        9. I'm Coming Home

        If the measure of a true artist is their inability to stand still then Ethan Johns easily fits the bill. Having achieved the upper reaches of success as a producer (Ray Lamontagne, Kings of Leon, Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, Laura Marling) the artist’s voice inside Johns’ head could not be quieted. His first solo record, If Not Now Then When? Released in Summer 2013 was received with acclaim by fans and critics alike.

        For his subsequent record, Johns trades places behind the glass with long-time friend and collaborator Ryan Adams. The Adams-produced album, The Reckoning, was born on tour in the UK, Europe and the US, inspired by the landscapes of the countryside and snippets of life in each stop along the way.

        TRACK LISTING

        1. Go Slow
        2. Dry Morning
        3. The Fool
        4. Among The Sugar Pines
        5. The Roses And The Dead
        6. Talking Talking Blues
        7. The Lo Down Ballad Of James Younger
        8. Black Heart
        9. You Changed
        10. This Modern London


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