The color scheme of The Writhers’ ‘In One Gulp’ is black and hot pink. The package I got the CD in was hot pink. I haven’t even heard this album yet or anything from The Writhers yet but I think I’m already in love. Let’s jump into this quick EP and see if their sound lives up to their perfect artwork and color scheme!
“Devilmask Approaches” kicks this EP off with a quick and punchy track that truly lays out the sound of The Withers. It’s punk but it’s not a classic punk sound. With an accordion (my accordion-playing dad is going to love this), The Writhers truly set themselves apart from other bands in the scene. Not quite the street punk style of Pinata Protest but also not the polished sound of all of the punk bands out there today, The Writhers situate themselves into a perfect grey area with this opening track.
“Rot Rot Rot” is our first glance at the vocals from Robert Writhe. I’ll be honest, I was thinking I was going to get something a little more garage styled but I liked the perfectly polished vocals and how they fit with everything else going on. Sure, punk, but this isn’t in your face like some punk acts can be while still not being anything mainstream. Again, and I can not stress this enough, The Writhers have a distinct sound that bridges so many different genres in all of the best ways.
The driving beat behind “What Is That?” made this quick minute and fifty-one-second track feel even shorter than it actually is. The gang vocals that come in with the chorus are fun and boppy while still staying in that punk vein of things. The image in the booklet that accompanies this track is a graphic of the band riding in a car while being chased by a flying saucer. Honestly, just looking at this picture adds so much to this track. It’s as if I can vividly see this song playing out in front of me.
Something a little more rockabilly styled comes to play with “Pulp”. This new sound mixed with, well, just this track, made it an instant favorite of mine. I feel like you really see a bunch of different sides of The Writhers in this track. Sadly, the punk vibes are strong with this band and this track is another one that is under two minutes long. I have so much more to say about it but “Cold Day” has already taken over my speakers with its intro of an evil laugh. Whereas “Pulp” shifted this band to a more rockabilly style, “Cold Day” seems to shift the vocals into something a bit more theatrical and I was an instant fan. There’s no denying the theatrical power of this track in the previous tracks at all but I just feel like that vibe really comes to fruition during this fifth track.
“Devilmask Defeated?” closes out this EP and I’m really hoping that question mark at the end of the song title means there is much more to come from this band. This final track ends the album on an almost creepy and mysterious note. The beat of this song is a bit more laid back and I feel like everything, from the vocals to the instrumentation, takes a darker tone. I feel like this song leaves this album on a cliffhanger and, as much as that had me frustrated and wanting so much more, I loved the fact that it made me want to eat everything up that The Writhers has ever put out there.
I had high expectations for this album and, not only did The Writhers meet those expectations, they went above and beyond. What a great (albeit quick) release from a truly unique and amazing band!
My Favorite Track(s): Trust me– just listen to this full EP
For Fans Of: Theatrics; Short And Punchy Tracks
Mosh-ability: 7 out of 10
What My Cats Thought Of It: Autumn ate dinner; Artie was nowhere to be seen (he’s probably upstairs sleeping)
How Badly I Want To See This Performed Live: 8.8out of 10
My Overall Rating: 8.5 out of 10
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