Premiere: NIGHTCREATURE Stream Frenzied Debut EP, On The Loose
The convergence of glam, punk, and garage rock has landed in Richmond in the form of NIGHTCREATURE, a brash and memorable sextet capable of gritty guitars and sauntering vocals. Tomorrow, the band releases their debut EP, On The Loose, through Alfalfa Dreams, but today, The Auricular is excited to premiere the EP, available to stream at the bottom of this article.
NIGHTCREATURE’s musical fusion is best described as garage rock with a psychedelic and theatrical spin, almost like punk rock that aims to pierce and punctuate the glam vocals and glitter harmonies. Their EP is a four song tribute to this approach, with bursts of musical energy flying through a loosely structured rhythm that’s as intriguing as it is endearing.
EP opener “It’s On Now” begins in the vein of early Black Flag material, albeit much more focused and polished, before throwing in some curveballs, like a hint of psychedelic guitars and vocals that have been fitted with a light glam outfit. “Run Along” stays on that wavelength of first wave punk, but goes past Black Flag, landing in the realm of early Clash in terms of structure and vocals, though the vocals still retain that glam “X” factor that Joe Strummer never could have pulled off convincingly.
On “Magic Touch,” the subtle psych touches become fully realized with ringing, fuzzy guitars that are matched by high-pitched harmonies, almost calling back to early ’60s R&B — all of which helps to deftly breaking up the pace of the EP in the process. The fourth and final track “Mess Around” ends the record on its strongest punk moment, with a chorus that rolls around on shaky wheels just about to fly off the axel. In the last twenty seconds of the song and EP, those wheels spin completely off the axel, smacking you in the face with brash, raw vocals that try desperately to keep up with a frenzied band behind them. It’s a simple move out of the punk rock playbook, but one of the EP’s most compelling, defining, and memorable moments.
On The Loose is out everywhere on Friday, October 26th, and that same day, you can catch the band at The Camel, along with Toxic Moxie, Piranha Rama, and Pagan Reagan, for a record release show as well as The Camel’s Friday Festival of Frights, featuring a costume contest and light show. More information on that show can be found here.
In the meantime, enjoy this exclusive stream of On The Loose below, and make sure to pick up the EP tomorrow.
