The second post-punk revival may already be on its way out again. But while the first wave gave us melodic and hymnic supercharged tracks by the Editors or the White Lies, this time around we see more diversity and experimentation, from the brooding doom of Fontaines D.C. to the aggressive stomping of Idles and the weird attitude of the Viagra Boys.
Then again, post-punk may be the most nonsensical genre description ever. What does it even mean? If I hear „post-punk“, I automatically hear Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart, a sparse and melancholy-dripping sound with some interlaced synth melody. However, there’s no clearly defined post-punk sound to begin with—it’s all and nothing.
You could detest this uncertainty hiding behind the label „post-punk“, or, and that’s the better choice, celebrate its unique position to incorporate anything theoretically.
And Switzerland’s URGES do precisely that. Following the 2021 debut album Never Gonna Change, their new EP Suck It Up provides an 18-minute, six-song canvas for an energetic sound, often on the louder, wild side. The fast pace of Suck It Up makes this EP more prone to pogo than contemplative whipping.
Shaped by the roaring, sometimes dissonant guitars and pressing vocals, URGES provide short bursts with clippings of life: alcohol, drugs, parties, relationships, the longing for freedom, the need for hope.
But within this rush and beneath the fusion of post-punkish sound and indie-rock’s frivolous hedonism, you’ll find lurking traces of loneliness and despair. And you can never be quite sure if the electrifying music is acting as a valve or a suppression strategy.
Nevertheless, from the first tune of Jesus with Glasses, it’s a futile exercise to resist the rousing quality of the URGES. There’s this robust sound, driven, crisp, sometimes curt, but at times extravagant. Weight is then almost creeping, dragging. Heavy breathing, wandering through the worlds of spoken word.
And I’m losing my mind
Lying around
When I give you my heart
Oh, you know what I found
I found out
I am a coffee machine
The uncompromising returns with Coffee Machine, including a liberated can-do attitude and a roasted pinch of absurdity in its view of everyday life. This is followed by the staccato of Set Me Up, while Destroy Yourself celebrates the balance between fast virtuosity and melancholic vacillation.
Finally, URGES step on the gas once again. Corridor bids farewell almost entirely in indie rock territory, with the anthemic taking over. It smells like a new beginning and hope.
But one‘s left wondering: What if URGES would truly slow it down for one track? How would they sound fully embracing the darkness? Nevertheless, Suck It Up remains an exquisite experience even without this nuance.
URGES – Suck It Up
Release: 18 April 2025
Tracklist
- Jesus with Glasses
- Weight
- Coffee Machine
- Set me up
- Destory Yourself
- Corridor
