Noisy, fuzz-loving take on American lo-fi from Glasgow trio
The latest Scots to release their debut on Fat Cat, this Glasgow trio don’t have the breakout potential of a Twilight Sad, Frabbit or Jetpacks – each ex or of the same parish – but when it comes to noisy, fuzz-loving, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Sub Pop alt-rock for turning on, de-tuning in and wigging out to, Paws are any group of their ilk’s match.
Treating American lo-fi circa 1985-1995 as if an endangered rainforest, its affectionate riff recycling galore here – from ‘Homecoming’s Pavement-esque slackerisms to the speedy Hüsker Dü-ish thrash of ‘Miss American Bookworm’. Frontman Phillip Taylor even mimics J Mascis’ atonal sung-through-a-trashcan drawl. Sticklers for originality will sneer – the rest of us will be too busy jumping about like idiots to care.