Ugly Criers – Catching Spiders CD (Little Rocket Records)

The United Kingdom has consistently remained one of the most vital global epicenters for punk rock music, with specific regions developing their own distinct, highly recognizable sonic fingerprints. When you examine the lineage of the Sunderland punk scene, you uncover a rich history of bands prioritizing raw emotion, gritty realism, and definite melody over flashy commercialism. Ugly Criers carry this torch into 2026, a power trio that has mastered the art of doing more with less. Their latest compact disc offering, Catching Spiders, exemplifies straightforward, honest, and highly emotive music. By stripping away all unnecessary studio trickery and relying entirely on the core trinity of guitar, bass, and drums, the band has crafted an intimately relatable record. Recorded over a three-day session in July 2025 at Rocket Studios under the watchful eye of producer Graeme Philliskirk, a man whose resume includes legendary Northern acts like Roach Squad, Leatherface, and Bull Taco, this album perfectly captures the raw energy of a band thrashing it out in a sweaty basement. The production is completely transparent, allowing the natural grit and character of the instruments to shine through while maintaining a modern, punchy standard.

Lyrically, Catching Spiders completely bypasses the tired, cliché tropes of youthful rebellion or broad political sloganeering. Instead, Ugly Criers turn their conceptual lens sharply inward, focusing on the brutal, often exhausting realities of navigating modern adulthood. The lyrical framework of this record is exceptionally grounded and deeply poetic, which makes perfect sense considering the words are pulled directly from the poetry of drummer Nina Mackie and the creative mind of guitarist Greg Robson. Throughout the album’s runtime, the band explores highly relatable themes that resonate deeply with anyone trying to keep their head above water. They tackle the overwhelming, daily pressure of coping as a parent, dissecting the anxiety and unconditional love that comes with raising a child in an unpredictable world. They navigate the treacherous waters of relationship woes, offering a brutally honest look at the miscommunications and heartbreaks that occur between partners. Perhaps most poignantly, the band dives headfirst into the struggles of mental health, brilliantly conceptualized as battling the toys in your own head. This is working-class poetry delivered over overdriven amplifiers, making the entire listening experience incredibly cathartic for the everyday individual.

The vocal performance on this CD serves as the absolute perfect vehicle for such heavy emotional baggage. The lead delivery is marvelous, possessing a subtle, gravelly touch of genuine and lived-in rawness. When the emotional intensity of the lyrics demands a higher gear, the vocals break into a passionate, shouty register. These aggressive vocal outbursts perfectly convey the frustration, desperation, and exhaustion described in the lyrics, making sure that the listener feels every single word. However, the true magic of the Ugly Criers’ vocal attack lies in their brilliant use of contrast. Threaded throughout the gritty lead performances are highly catchy, anthemic additional female vocals. These harmonious sing-alongs provide a stunning, uplifting counterpoint to the rawness of the lead, elevating the choruses into massive, stadium-sized earworms. The interplay between the gruff lead and the melodic backing vocals ensures that these arrangements remain firmly lodged in your listening apparatus long after the CD stops spinning.

Operating as a three-piece band is a highly demanding endeavor. There is absolutely zero room for error, sloppy playing, or filler material, as there are no backing tracks or secondary guitarists to hide behind. The six-string execution on Catching Spiders is exceptional, expertly filling the entire sonic spectrum. You are treated to highly catchy, memorable, and engaging chord progressions that form the undeniable backbone of the classic Sunderland melodic punk sound. Instead of relying solely on simplistic, repetitive power chords, the guitar work frequently utilizes intricate, arpeggiated chord progressions and highly kinetic riffs. These sonic maneuvers provide a massive amount of melody and harmony, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that a band can achieve a huge, rich soundscape with just one guitar. The tone is perfectly saturated, distorted enough to provide the necessary punk rock bite, but clean enough to allow every single note in the arpeggios to ring out clearly. A power trio relies entirely on a rock-solid rhythm section to maintain its structural integrity, and Ugly Criers boast a truly phenomenal duo holding down the low end. The bass guitar offers tremendous groove, depth, and clarity, entirely avoiding the amateur trap of simply mirroring the root notes of the guitar riffs. The basslines are warm, articulate, and highly active, acting as the crucial binding agent between the soaring melodic leads and the heavy percussive foundation.

Speaking of the percussive foundation, the drumming performance is the racing heartbeat of the entire record. The percussion keeps everything perfectly in line while expertly dictating the relentless groove and pace of the album. The drum tracking is loaded with well-accentuated beats, clever, unexpected breaks, and highly dynamic fills. There are plenty of percussive acrobatics that keep the energy levels redlined and the listener completely engaged, yet the playing remains incredibly tasteful, always serving the needs of the song first and foremost. Catching Spiders exemplifies straightforward, honest, and highly effective songwriting. By stripping away all pretense and focusing purely on the core elements of bass, drums, guitar, and truthful lyricism, Ugly Criers have crafted an incredibly thrilling piece of art. If you are a true fan of punk rock that speaks directly to the struggles of real life while keeping your head nodding and your foot tapping, this CD is a must listen. It is simple, effective, and deeply resonant. Ugly Criers have delivered a phenomenal record that demands your full attention, proving that sometimes the most profound musical statements are made in a sweaty basement with just three instruments.