’…an ode to the messiness of youth, and the daunting shadow of adulthood, exploring both aspects with nuance, earnestness, and just the perfect pinch of wit…’
One of the more hotly anticipated debut albums in the alternative scene certainly has to have been that of Merseyside based outfit Crawlers. Having both supported the legends themselves My Chemical Romance, and achieved TikTok virality with their stunning track ‘Come Over (Again)’, the band have been primed for stardom for quite some time now. The expectations were high, and the pressure was on, and Crawlers have stuck the landing with their simply great debut record.
’The Mess We Seem To Make’ is a powerhouse of an album from start to finish. It both exists as an ode to the messiness of youth, and the daunting shadow of adulthood, exploring both aspects with nuance, earnestness, and just the perfect pinch of wit. Certainly, Crawlers have proved to be an important band in the Gen Z alternative scene, acting as a voice for a generation that has so much more to grapple with than is reasonably expected, but this album is also guaranteed to resonate deeply with those younger millennials, particularly those who straddle that arbitrary boundary; too old to be a TikTok star, too young for Kurt Cobain.
A good reason for this is the lyricism here. Holly Minto is arguably one of the brightest upcoming lyricists around; one might even make a compelling that they are the best of their scene. Their lyricism paints an incredibly vivid picture of a generation of young people who never expected to make it to their twenties, never mind start considering houses, taxes, and settling down; it’s an album that is dancing at a party, long after everyone has gone home and the lights have come on. Reckless, yet almost beautifully so.
One just needs to look at ‘Hit It Again’. Thumping instrumentals in the verses rip by, carried by the rich bass lines of Liv May, before colliding with urgent, frantic choruses. Minto perfectly encapsulates that youthful recklessness with incredible lines such as ‘Sell my last serotonin for one good night/Didn’t think I’d live this long, didn’t think I had the fight’, and ‘Renting my life because I’m too scared to own/And drugs aren’t fun when you do them alone’, all delivered with their trademark raw yet powerful tones that are as bluesy as they are poppy. Their capacity for conjuring wonderful melodies is as fascinating as it is captivating.
’What I Know Is What I Love’ is a dizzying, disconcerting look at a mentally and emotionally abusive relationship, with viscerally honest lyricism that is deeply uncomfortable to listen to (‘And you scare me, but so does God to get me to heaven’), whilst ‘Kiss Me’ is a catchy, complicated affair that deals with self-worth, unintended love, and personal relationships with sex, with Minto really nailing that sensation of catching yourself falling for someone you never anticipated, especially when it was a no strings attached affair (‘I’m more vulnerable to my surprise/With my clothes on, our hands entwined/Then I am lying naked on my side’).
All of these upbeat tracks are constructed with great care and creativity, perfectly balancing simple catchiness with genuinely interesting and compelling ideas. Amy Woodall utilises her guitar almost more of a way of providing texture to tracks than simply producing catchy riffs; ‘Meaningless Sex’ in particular is a wonderful showcase of those, with crunching, gritty guitar tones overlaying an ethereal, minimalist backing, providing some real unique depth. Meanwhile, Harry Breen is a solid percussive backbone throughout, planting plenty of danceable rhythms throughout the album that ensure you will want to get on your feet and dance like no one, or perhaps that one special person in particular, is watching.
The real highlights, surprisingly, come when the band slow things down, such as on the closing track ‘Nighttime Affair’, and the stunning ‘Golden Bridge’, which has been a live favourite for quite some time now. The band have translated it beautifully into a studio recording. A genuinely heartbreaking look at suicidal ideation and the ultimate cost of it, the strings and keys here alternate beautifully between understated and sweeping, all alongside a beautiful vocal performance from Minto; this track isn’t just important for Crawlers, but an important song for the wider alternative community.
Finally, I’d like to inject with one personal comment, in that I apologise if I get my wording wrong with any of the following passage. However, ‘The Mess We Seem To Make’ is a gloriously queer-coded album; across the span of this record, the band openly sing of WLW relationships, and frequently use gender ambiguity in the lyricism to make it relatable to not just anyone, but those who exist outside of the archaic binary. It’s wonderfully refreshing, and a true sign that the next generation of alternative artists that are coming through are going to make the scene more accessible and welcoming than ever before. ‘Come Over (Again)’ has been adopted by trans individuals online as speaking to their personal experiences, and the band have welcomed this with open arms.
Even if you end up not enjoying the music Crawlers make, then you should at least be able to concede that their impact and presence is vital, important, and what the scene needs.
Of course, you will end up enjoying the music, because ‘The Mess We Seem To Make’ is a great record. With very few lapses in momentum, big hit singles that are guaranteed to go down a storm, and deep cuts that showcase a real innovative streak within the band, there is a sense with this record that Crawlers could truly produce something game-changing. It’s no surprise they’ve already taken off like they have, and it would be shocking if that trajectory didn’t continue.
The next alternative generation are here, and despite what angry men on the internet would have you believe, the kids are absolutely gonna be alright.
RATING: 78/100 – Mostly Very Good
For Fans Of: Hot Milk, My Chemical Romance, The Last Dinner Party, Shefu, Gen And The Degenerates
Physical copies of the album are available here, with personally signed copies available for a limited time here.
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