Eagulls - EAGULLS (album review)

Leeds post-punk fivesome Eagulls proved in January 2013 that they aren't here for a good time, when they published their now-infamous open letter decrying the raft of "beach bands" who were "rubbing the press' clits" that winter. Their debut album, released last week on the aptly-named Partisan Records, will determine whether they'll be here for a long time.

Thankfully for frontman George Mitchell and his cohorts, their self-titled debut packs enough memorable hooks and choruses in to ten tracks to sustain interest in the band's bleak subject matter. Songs about heroin ('Amber Veins') and thalidomide poisoning ('Tough Luck') match their lyrical content with hypodermic-sharp riffs and a furious rhythm section. Opening track and lead single 'Nerve Endings', meanwhile, builds an acute sense of dread as Mitchell recounts a panic attack over effects-laden guitars. Eagulls covered Killing Joke's 'Requiem' as a B-side to 'Nerve Endings' and their influence can be heard throughout the album, as Eagulls construct a visceral, gritty sound befitting their post-industrial hometown. 

The album's artwork features a burnt out car on a council estate, and the songs within evoke the frustrations of 20-somethings toiling far from Britain's metropolitan "recovery", particularly on the embittered 'Soulless Youth'. It's the sound of a betting slip in your right hand and a Sam Smith's ale in the left, as opposed to an iPhone and a Starbucks latte. Mitchell himself has admitted in previous interviews that he sings as "an outlet... a primal scream", and this is most apparent on the outstanding 'Possessed', as he bellows "I don't want to know you / Because I'm something else".

For all the band's impressive energy and technical ability, however, there are occasional moments when Eagulls' eponymous effort can feel like a chore. 'Fester / Blister', in particular, is a charmless track which falls short in aiming for the chaos of American hardcore bands such as Suicidal Tendencies, instead sounding more akin to a punch-up at a youth club. Indeed, while the high proportion of new tracks on the album can be commended, surely fantastic early singles such as 'Council Flat Blues' are worthy of inclusion.

Despite these flaws, Eagulls have backed up their abrasive image with an accomplished debut record, which hints at much more to follow. Mitchell may sing of gloom and despair, but the dynamism of his band ensures that their debut album is oddly euphoric. Self-degradation has rarely sounded so fun.

FOUR STARS