Rising Brighton four-piece, Muskets, are one hell of a name who it’s becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. All across the city they seem to be making waves through their trashy, garage riffs, brilliant stage presence and embodiment of DIY music at its finest. With the release of their full length debut, Chew, are the band really living up to their hype?

Chew is a ten track release which breathes grunge and garage at its very core. The retro vibe has transcended well into the 21st century and really lands well, tracks such as the infectious ‘Frankie Stable’ being just one example of how this band have managed to combine the splendid haziness of vocalist Alex Cheung’s fantastic tones with a hard hitting punch that you can really feel in your gut.

The overall sound of course does find its roots in the classic era of grunge, the obvious comparison to Nirvana comes to mind, and even ‘Decay’ seems to make a subtle reference to ‘In Bloom’. However, instead of sticking to the classic grunge structure, Muskets have created something that feels entirely their own. It holds more punch, less moaning and more angst. The riffs hit hard and the structuring is strong enough to inject a great deal of energy into the tightly compacted tracks.

‘Pond Drop’ and penultimate number ’Truck’ both act as beacons of the thrash and power in Muskets’ sound whilst still containing a great deal of hesitating drops which eventually lead into colossal landings, meanwhile, Alex’s vocals provide the rough edging needed to keep the sound vibrant and flowing along.

It could also be said that ‘Chewing Gum’ feels like something straight off American Idiot and there are times in the track where you do have to check it isn’t Billy Joel making a feature! However, the song soon diverges into electric guitar work and piercing solos accompanied by some beautifully fuzzy bass which so few are keen to use this strongly. The sound works excellently with Muskets’ vibe and blows the track’s enormity even further, making for a personal highlight on the album.

Sure, some of the tracks do hold similarities to their predecessors and, at times, this causes the sound to meld into one messy concoction rather than any form of real structure but I think that is part of the brilliance of Chew. It is a record which doesn’t promise to change the world, but instead is the creative outlet of four guys just having a great time with their music. Knowing how skilled and eye catching this band are to watch live, you can imagine their passion behind each note strum and pounding drum.

Chew is a record I can see being worth sticking on if you’re either ready to kick some ass or just want to vent out some rock’n’roll needs through some heavy riffs and powerful vocals. Muskets are living proof that the DIY grunge scene is thriving more than ever and is ready for its long awaited comeback. In a time where indie-rock’n’roll seems to be dominating the radio time, I can see Muskets being at the forefront of revitalising a genre which many want to see on the radio waves.

Ben Walker

Website: chewonthehand.com
Facebook: facebook.com/muskets
Twitter: twitter.com/musketsuk