Released: 6th September 2019
Rating: ★★★
Husky Loops sound has changed fairly considerably on the road to their debut album, with synths and loops playing a much larger role than one might have expected when they used to be busy tearing up underground bars with feisty riffs.
That said, the trio claim they want to redefine what a rock’n’roll band can be and there’s no disputing that this is a huge step away from what that term has traditionally meant. Mixing modern production techniques with tried and tested lyrical motifs, there are plenty of grumbles about wrongs that need righting, and ‘I Think You’re Wonderful’ shows that often spoken of potential for the art school-inspired Italians.
As their journey rumbles along, spliced electronic sounds are joined by positive testimonies, pre-recorded discussing the record, that pop up throughout and perhaps rub a touch of the shine off the quality of the tracks. Undoubtedly, ‘Let Go For Nothing’ and ‘Everyone Is Having Fun Fun Fun But Me’ are real peaks and individual songs that show just what Husky Loops are capable of, but these moments are slightly too few and far between for this to be labelled an instant classic.
There is a peculiar beauty in the way this release doesn’t fit into any boxes and it definitely stands out as something unique from an outfit not afraid to take risks. Not everything comes off though and, without a natural flow linking bursts of creative brilliance, it fails to quite live up to the sum of those occasionally impressive parts.
Ciaran Steward
