Merseyside four-piece – Crawlers – release their highly anticipated debut record – The Mess We Seem To Make.
Singer Holly Minto says: “This album debut comes from us honing our craft, being vulnerable with each other, finding our sound and saying exactly what we wanted to. I think that’s a lot of what the Crawlers sound is, being honest with each other about how to get the correct emotions out – trying, failing, and pushing each other to keep playing and writing to the limits.” It has been a long journey for the band, from pre-pandemic stardom on TikTok, supporting the likes of My Chemical Romance and Yungblud on tour, and booking major festival slots. Yet they are making their mark with this sonically polished and cohesive album – laced with nineties grunge inspiration, sexual politics, angst, and passion. If you are no stranger to the Crawlers sound, you know they feed off grunge-rock influences with a sprinkle of queer-inspired lyrics. This sound intensifies and becomes cohesive and clean in the album – they have found their ground and know where their journey is heading because of The Mess We Seem To Make.
The album opens strong with a heavy, pounding drum beat courtesy of Harry Breen in ‘Meaningless Sex’. The rock-grunge motif of the record is present instantly as Holly Minto wails: “If this was heroin then you’d still be shaking at my feet.” This angsty album opener brings a bridge of crashing passion intertwined with glitchy guitars. ‘Kiss Me’ follows instantly after – the little sister baseline to ‘Fuck Me (I Didn’t Know How To Say)’. The classic Crawlers drive and yearning passion bleeds out of this song – Liv Kettle’s bass riffs and Harry’s drum patterns are effortless.
‘Hit It Again’ is a stand-out on the record. Liv’s deep bass echoes throughout combined flawlessly with a deeper vocal from Minto. They sing: “Drugs aren’t fun now I do them alone,” instilling a theme of drugs as a metaphor for passion and the need for serotonin. The lyrics visualise the desire to grasp at anything for a hit of happiness. It is a live moment – the crowd will stomp and moss to this anthem. Echoes of Crawler’s earlier work, such as ‘Monore’ emerge in this song, possibly being the reason for the song being a stand out – it is nostalgic.
Jaunty guitar riffs echo the grunge and angst in the record – produced by guitarist Amy Woodall – and are present in tracks like ‘Better If I Just Pretend’ and ‘I End Up Alone’. Similarly, both these tracks mirror the band’s influences of Muse and In Utero era Nirava – their reference list is stacked for this album.
Single – ‘Would You Come To My Funeral’ – with its The Cure-inspired drum beat is the centrepiece of the album – the question of whether someone you once loved would come to your funeral if they still care about you despite a dispute and time passing. Holly sings: “If I knew I was dying you’d be the first person I’d call,” the yearning exudes from the track. ‘Kills Me To Be Kind’ – the people-pleaser anthem – also packs a punch. It is a fan favourite from the unhinged lyrics: “You don’t need me you just need me to stay alive.” Crawlers vulnerably explore the notion of toxic relationships and trauma in their lyricism – this specific song does not hold back.
Two more emotional, sonically and lyrically, songs on the record stem from ‘Call It Love’ and ‘Golden Bridge’. The poignant ‘Golden Bridge’ is an emotional look into Minto’s mind and mental health. The gut-wrenching lyrics and the references to Merseyside make the track a personal release for the band. It is pleasing to see the band – especially lead singer Holly – in a better emotional place than when penning the song. It is a reminder that things will get better. ‘Call It Love’ explores relationship toxicity, the highs and the lows. Minto’s vocals on these tracks are raw, unedited, and personal.
Distorted guitars and pre-choruses are a running theme in The Mess We Seem To Make – especially in ‘What I Know Is What I Love’. A track teased in previous Crawlers shows fans will be surprised by the changed lyrics, title, and arrangements – yet it remains flawless. They sing: “You’re my carbon monoxide alarm and you made me take out the batteries,” showcasing the highs and lows of toxic and obsessive relationships.
‘Come Over (Again)’ has been re-vamped for the album. The band gained recognition because of this track, meaning it needed to be included on the debut to illustrate the journey and growth of the quartet. The chorus expands sonically, the vocals are passionate, and it hits even harder than the previous version. A direct contrast to the 2019 Crawlers: they have grown and flourished into real rockers.
Ending the album cohesively, following the thematic structure the album holds, is ‘Nighttime Affair’. The Mess We Seem To Make centres on not getting the love you deserve from someone, yet holding tightly onto their presence for comfort – ‘Nighttime Affair’ visualises this to a tee. “Can you kiss me, can you love me, I am worthy, you don’t deserve me,” is poured from Holly’s vocals, and the strings sections evoke haunting romance in the song.
The Mess We Seem To Make is sonically rich and cohesive, smooth, and lyrically inspiring. The nineties grunge inspiration bleeds throughout each track effortlessly without fail, indicating Crawlers have spent time refining their craft to give their devoted fans and listeners a record which mirrors each member individually and collectively. It is just a snapshot of the future Crawlers have ahead of them – the mess they are making is about to explode into a burst of success and admiration from their peers.
