Newcastle based rock outfit Grub return with their sophomore EP Pulling Teeth, which will be unleashed tomorrow (August 30).
Since starting just four years ago, Grub have continued to explore sound variations drawing from rock, punk and alternative genres and have reportedly found the perfect balance on this, their sophomore EP.
Opener Impersonal saunters to life on the back of a bluesy guitar riff that introduces an almost mournful vocal intro declaring “I don’t know who I am” but just as I’m starting to feel a sense of Deja Vu creeping in things escalate quickly into a much more punk dominated landscape with urgent and abrasive vocals offset by chugging guitars and frenetic drumming.
Impersonal staggers along, alternating between purposeful self-doubt and a sense of self-pity that compliment each other well. It creates a terse, uncomfortable emotive strain that draws you in subtly before counterpunching with a punch to the throat.
Everything that you would expect from a first date.
Mights & Maybe’s initially pulls things back drastically with an acoustic feel and insulated playing, but, again, this is merely a means to an end as the guitars explode amid a swirling pattern of pain and discontent. The vocal dynamic between the differing emotions is abrasive as fuck, but does a great job of highlighting the yin and yang of the subject matter in opposing strains.
Grub tread a fine line between genre mashing here, but do it with a restrained confidence that allows for seamless transition. The moments of shade are comforting and raw while the descent into mayhem comes quickly and decisively, leaving no room for conflicting emotions or regret. Not an easy thing to do, especially on only your second EP.
No Commiseration fires out of the blocks, wasting little time in setting a mood, opting instead to forcibly create one. The punk influences are proudly on display here as the vocals spit with venom and spite while the rest of the band rise to attention with an equally assertive sonic desperation that further enhances the fuck you nature of the song.
A tasty guitar breakdown towards the end showcases a heavier side to Grub that I find myself hoping to hear more of in future music, and with only one song left on this four-track EP, I’m hoping Pulling Teeth delivers.
And to my delight it does, with a fast-paced rolling drum intro veering into almost hardcore territory before pulling back ever so slightly to introduce a chugging bottom-end guitar riff that steers the ship beautifully.
More punk than hardcore, there isn’t a great degree of separation here, but the sporadic breakdowns suggest a heavier DNA strand within Grub that is simmering impatiently beneath the surface.
This is a cracking, aggressive and utterly addictive track from start to finish, leaving a nasty taste in your mouth long after it finishes and definitely wanting more. Much more.
Job well done, Grub!
