Crawlers’ debut album, The Mess We Seem To Make takes on a whole range of challenging topics; trauma, sexual politics, the general goings-on of being in your twenties. If you also worship the works of Paramore you are bound to enjoy this record, with the personal, yet universal spin it puts on feelings of loneliness, insecurity and toxic forms of dependence.
Each new release has sealed Crawlers’ reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting young bands. Debut mixtape Loud Without Noise cemented their status, achieving a huge 80+ million streams to date, and they have excelled in fans’ expectations with the grungy, post-punk superiority of their debut record.
‘Would You Come To My Funeral’ and ‘Come Over (Again)’ demonstrates their electric alt-rock side, showing fans their honest and vulnerable craft. The internal feminine thoughts revealed in these two singles is a key theme on the record. Lead vocalist Holly Minto punches listeners in the gut with a combination of her internal, story-like monologue on heartbreak while Amy Woodhall’s excellent guitar work, allows for a unique intimacy to be created between performer and listener.
On the album Minto says, “[It] 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.”
The record’s most prominent aspect is without doubt the guitar, though the drums and vocals cannot be ignored. However, for most tracks I was completely astounded my how much emotion a guitar, a piece of metal with a few strings on it, provoked within me – it is the backbone of the record. I thought it was only Johnny Marr who could get me bawling on my bedroom floor, but Crawlers have proved that wrong, especially on ‘Call It Love’.
Don’t get me wrong, Minto’s lyrics did get me questioning everything that has ever happened in my life, but it’s the arrangements which really stabbed me in the chest. Crawlers bounce from fast-paced tracks like ‘I End Up Alone’, ‘Kills Me To Be Kind’ and ‘Kiss Me’, which replicate the heart-racing, intense feelings of falling for somebody, with the mellow tracks, specifically ‘Golden Bridge’ which nails the exact nihilistic feeling of when that love ends, and the self-loathing and reflection that ensues.
Although the album speaks to self-deprecating feelings of heartbreak, it’s a positive outlet which reinforces their ongoing relationship with an LGBTQIA+ audience. As a group where three members openly identify as queer they are proud to have created music that speaks authentically to both their own identities and a wider need for inclusive environments, offering up social spaces where young people feel truly heard and understood.
“We didn’t have an awful lot of safe queer spaces when we were growing up, so being able to create an environment where people can be themselves without question or fear is really important,” says bassist Liv.
“More than anything, it’s just about openness; vulnerability and openness is what creates a community,” Minto adds. “It’s why we’ve gone back to this kind of 2012 Tumblr-grunge way of presenting the album, because that was our sanctuary.”
Crawlers are clearly at a comfortable stage, and they have that certain alchemy of a great rock band, similar to other female dominant bands such as The Mysterines and The Last Dinner Party. Talent, determination, and solid friendship is at the core of Crawlers, as well as a sizable dosage of ambition and the kind of unapologetic belief that their voice is one which must be heard. With their single ‘Come Over (Again)’ going viral on TikTok recently, this record is a must-listen if you enjoy feminine-angst tracks and the likes of Paramore.