With their latest release, Crows push deeper into the cacophonous soundscapes that have cemented them as a fierce presence in the UK’s modern punk revival, while also showing signs of maturity in both composition and lyrical narrative, taking the four-piece’s historically adrenaline-fuelled sound into fresh territory. Reason Enough showcases a more reflective, yet equally potent side of Crows that balances aggression with moments of introspective beauty.
From the outset, the title track looms large like a spectre drawing listeners into a dense fog of booming basslines, pounding drums and brooding guitars. Frontman James Cox’s throaty rasp is rounder, more chasmlike. There’s a restraint in the song, it feels held back on a tight leash as the guitars saw alongside until the very end when it kicks up the pace and segues into the more punk and petulant sounding “Bored”. Sonically we’re already in a place that feels expansive, an evolution from the claustrophobic intensity of Beware Believers but without jettisoning the urgent and doomy mood the band can exude at their best.
“Is It Better” uses reverb and guitar motifs to highlight the vocals as the driving beats propel the song foward. Similarly “Vision of Me” has a sparseness to its composition that showcases Cox’s singing more than ever before. The band have sought to take their songwriting elsewhere, to maintain the core elements but experiment and try new things. This desire to progress feels more interesting on the ear. Where once they felt like they could be channelling the chaotic anger of a punk idea they’ve now corralled their own darker, dystopian edge within an elegant shell of delivery.
There’s a real case for Crows now representing more
post-punk territory “Land of The Rose” is a fine case in point. Icy
riffs and insistent drumming interplay like a tornado bouying up the
strident vocals. Part rallying cry for the future, part disdain for the
past. Whereas, “Every Day Of Every Year” uses its screaming guitar riffs
to ear-splitting effect as we swirl off into the mundanity and dullness
that life can bring while leaning into atmospheric, almost gothic
textures.
Shimmering guitar lines building into swirling crescendos,
add a fresh melodic dimension that Crows have only flirted with
previously. Even delving into familiar themes of disillusionment,
paranoia, and existential dread, there’s a personal, reflective streak
running through the album that reaches an apex on the wiry, jagged
“Living On My Knees” exploring feelings of internal conflict and
self-sabotage, all while wrapped in a blistering haze of sound. Cox's
knack for delivering stark, socially conscious lyrics with a sense of
personal vulnerability. It’s a track that taps into the uncertainty of
modern life painting a picture of collective anxiety.
If there’s a thematic thread that runs through Reason Enough,
it’s the idea of battling through the noise - both external and
internal. There’s a sense of grappling with the pressures of modern
existence in “Silhouettes” when Cox sings, “I told my younger self to
look out for the answers / ‘Cause it’s not right you don’t find peace
when you’re older”, and while the music often threatens to become
overwhelming, the moments of reprieve, hypnotic breathes in closer
“D-Gent” provide just enough space for reflection.
Reason Enough is Crows’ most cohesive and fully
realized work to date. It builds on the visceral intensity of their
previous albums while venturing into more spacious and melodic
territory, adding layers to their sonic identity. For those familiar
with the band’s previous work, it’s a logical next step, but for
newcomers, it’s a near-perfect entry point into their occasionally
bleakly reflected, yet exhilarating world.
