by Em Moore (@eeemmoore)
Minneapolis-based rockers Scrunchies pull no punches on their sophomore album Feral Coast. The band, made up of Laura Larson (Kitten Forever, Baby Guts), Danielle Cusack (Bruise Violet), and Matt Castore (Condominium), continue to build on their post-punk meets riot grrrl meets grunge sound that they cultivated on their 2018 album Stunner, while also making space to explore new territory. In just over thirty minutes, they dial the punk energy way up and use it to unleash a gloriously chaotic collection of songs that are chock full of fuzz, killer riffs, and cathartic and oftentimes surreal lyrics. Listening to Feral Coast can feel like you’ve been strapped to a rocket hurtling into space at a million miles per hour because the band’s energy never lets up. The deep, resonating bass and distortion-laden guitars propel you forward and fill you with the urge to dance. So much happens in each song that it will take you multiple listens to catch everything and even then, some things remain out of reach.
“No Home Planet” rips by in just under two minutes. At first glance, you’d think that this song would be a short straight-forward punk track but you’d be surprised at all of the intricacies that Scrunchies can fit into that brief amount of time. The song begins with a blast of pure punk energy that is loud and full of distortion which then gives way to the clear, melodic refrain of “You turn me over to tear me apart” before snapping back to garage-y goodness within seconds. Once you feel like you have the song figured out, the band play in such a way that it feels like your world is tilting back and forth in time with the blasts of guitar. The repetition of “it’s just a rat” near the end overlaps on itself and builds in desperate energy until erupting into a scream. The song keeps you on your toes from start to finish and showcases Scrunchies’ stellar songwriting. “Wildlife” also plays with different dynamics. The song starts off with a fuzzy grunge assault that has an undeniable groove. Halfway through after a wonderful blast of distortion, the band slows things down and strips everything away to a deep bass line, clapping, and clean vocal delivery before exploding in fuzz-drenched riffs that continue the slightly slowed-down groove.
Feral Coast cements Scrunchies as one of the most exciting rock bands out there. They let their true selves shine with inventive uses of distortion and the loud-soft dynamic along with lyrics that merge the personal and political while retaining a surreal sense of fun. The way the songs are constructed ensures that the imagery created by the music shines through and that it won’t be the same for everyone who listens to it. Feral Coast shines from start to finish and once you start listening to Scrunchies, it will be impossible to stop.