The Bawl Slant – Teething EP (Shore Dive Records)

The contemporary grunge scene is blooming at the moment. Exciting new bands are popping out from every part of the globe, and most of them sound surprisingly good. Recently, I received an email from a Swedish band that immediately blew me away with a unique sense of humor. On the other side of the spectrum, The Bawl Slant takes a very serious approach while producing astounding grunge music. Therefore, this creative bunch possesses the qualities to become the next big thing on the scene. Teething EP is more than a solid proof of my statement. Their second extended play release carries only the best of both worlds. You have their devotion towards the nineties alternative rock/ grunge on one side and some ear-appealing surprises on the other. You can read more about it below.

Teething is their second extended play release that carries seven thoughtfully assembled compositions. Judging by their Spotify profile, it seems the band heavily promoted this material with a series of singles, such as Easy To See, I Hate Everything, Color The Lines, and Hang On. Each composition truly represents their expanded version of modern grunge sound, decorated by the vividly hearable elements of alternative rock. Still, there are beforementioned hidden surprises included along the way. Besides these two primary directions, The Bawl Slant likes to experiment with their tunes by incorporating other ingredients like indie rock, indie pop, dream pop, and shoegaze. I have to admit right from the start that these experimentations work like a charm and unquestionably go to the advantage of the sonic presence of the band.

Nevertheless, grunge remains the primary weapon of choice. The other elements occasionally pop out from scratch to finish and serve as appropriate enhancements within particular tunes. The Bawl Slant also play on a dissonant card that undoubtfully contributes to the overall ambiance and listening experience. The dissonance mostly comes from the thoughtfully arranged chord progressions, but it doesn’t overwhelm the remainder of the orchestrations. There are effects added over the top, such as chorus, reverb, delay, so the guitar sound is versatile, illustrious, rich, and powerful at the same time. The bass guitar fills the gaps with cleverly assembled basslines but simultaneously serves as a compounding element between guitars and the rhythm section. The excellent drumming is mainly responsible for the dynamics and for keeping the remainder of the orchestrations in line.

Every number is written, composed, recorded, and produced to resemble the nineties grunge sound. The vocals segments are also performed in resemblance to that particular era, and you’ll solely enjoy calm and semi-distorted chants. Teething EP will be right up your alley if you’re into the classic grunge, grunge revival, or alternative rock scene. The limited-edition compact discs are long gone, but you can still enjoy their music on the web. Head over to the Bandcamp page if you’re into streaming music online.