When The Wytches dropped their debut album ‘Annabel Dream Reader’ back in 2014, it represented something unforgiving, witty and relatable. Most of all though, it was an authentic squall of noise that stood firmly apart from everything else at the time. Needless to say, since that release there’s been a doom shaped gap in our lives.
The enduring wait for more is now over. Once again you can’t even begin to argue with the pained vocal of Kristian Bell. It’s the kind of voice which beckons mayhem both in the live environment and on track. If someone is willing to rip their throat out spurred on by jagged guitar noise, it’s naturally going to excite the lugholes.
A simple glimpse at the track names offers a few clues as what we can expect, whether it’s ‘Crest Of Death’, ‘Bone-Weary’ or ‘A Dead Night Again’, it was always going to be a heavy affair. There’s a raw and striking beauty around every track on the album. A certain sarcasm lurks behind the title ‘All Your Happy Life’. That’s exactly the emotion it kindles, a feeling of being a menacing outsider and enjoying such a position.
Perhaps one of the most likeable things about this band is that you can strip back any of their songs to just an acoustic guitar and a voice and they will still make sense. It’s about melody and craftsmanship as much as it is about creating something huge and lashing.
‘Can’t Face It’ stands up as the true masterpiece on the album, reeling with emotion and angst, it truly feels like a call to arms for the alternative youth who were around when The Wytches burst onto the scene alongside the likes of Drenge and Traams. Those days are sure to be back with this album. It’s purely and simply evil.
‘All Your Happy Life’ is out now and you can order it here or listen below.