EP Review: The Howlers - ‘The Sum Of Our Fears’
Desert-rockers of the South, THE HOWLERS are back- and taking everyone for a ride. Last week saw the group unveil their latest EP ‘The Sum Of Our Fears’, their explosive new offering jam packed with riotous sound, and a search for light in the dark.
The opener ‘Lost Without You’ covers the hard-hitting of the themes of the album from the very beginning. The group's notorious swing-rock sound is clear from the breezy guitar licks and brooding bass, all while Adam Young’s vocals glide over top, as he asks the listener a direct, personal question; ‘Did you ever know what it’s like to be alone?’ The left-turn to honesty is surprising, yet welcomed, adding a new-found layer of sincerity to the group's sound that permeates as the album continues.
‘Never Enough’ is where the groups kick up the action. Fast-past and ferocious, the track races as it plays out, filling the track out with walls of electric guitar elements and thrashing drum beats. Sonically, the track reminds of a high-speed car chase- high in energy and slowing down for no one. Yet still, a hint of authentic runs throughout the track’s mania. Even in this frenzy, the lyrics are a series of confessions, spouting about emotionally bouncing back and forth, and leaving the past behind. Though the impact of this honesty gets somewhat muddled in the sonic madness that the track provides, the group's charisma still shines through, and uplifts the record from a standard rock number, into a thrashing anthem of the band's glory.
The band leave us waiting to hear the title-track, with ‘The Sum Of Our Fears’ appearing at the very end of the EP’s runtime. Pulling inspiration from the post-punk landscape, the track is perhaps the most brooding on the whole record. Vocals border on spoken word, while decadent drum patterns thunder beneath descending guitar licks. However, what’s most striking is the little heart-warming mantra that plays out at the end of the chorus; ‘It’s cool to be so kind’. The line comes across as The Howlers final gift, a mantra to take forth. Overall, ‘The Sum Of Our Fears’ captures the Howlers' sound at its most authentic, while weaving a thread of optimism throughout that stays long after listening.
Words by Lily Blakeney-Edwards