Puck Debut EP 'Hiraeth': A Blistering Declaration of Punk’s Vitality
- Elizabeth Guest
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
A week after Galway garage psych punks Puck released their debut EP Hiraeth, we asked UK-based music writer Elizabeth Guest for her thoughts.
Named after Shakespeare’s mischievous sprite who revelled in the torment of mortals, the Galway-hailing outfit of Puck employ similar mischief in their music. Blending a zealous mix of punk, psychedelia and garage rock, the band’s sound leaves listeners shaken and stirred - daringly tossed between frenetic frenzies and hypnotic melodies.
As a six track EP, Hiraeth sees the five-piece confidently employ tactics of tension and release, restraint and intensity, all in one sub-30 minute package.
Such a feat has been evidenced in the band’s self-produced debut EP Hiraeth, released via Blowtorch Records. As a six track EP, Hiraeth sees the five-piece confidently employ tactics of tension and release, restraint and intensity, all in one sub-30 minute package.
Immediately, the listener is catapulted into the eye of a punk storm through the opener, Greens. An interplay of swirling siren-like vocals and layered instrumentation crafts an almost hypnotic haze, before the track fulminates even more riotously than before. Such contrasts are further acutely demonstrated in Autonomy. Toeing the line between melodic and menacing, Autonomy unleashes tidal waves of white-hot distortion, before steering the listener to calmer shores.
Similarly, the band’s debut single Caricature, bristles with a swagger that Richard Hell would be proud of. Opening with searing guitar and vocals that are as forceful as they are fervent, Caricature is an assured declaration of punk’s enduring vitality. However, as the song progresses, the instrumentation begins to drift into a mellowed daze, punctuated by positively warm guitar.
the band’s debut single Caricature, bristles with a swagger that Richard Hell would be proud of. Opening with searing guitar and vocals that are as forceful as they are fervent, Caricature is an assured declaration of punk’s enduring vitality.
The EP’s midpoint, Healthwhere? is the geist of 70s punk, bottled. Through snappy lyrics and abrasive guitar, Puck have retained the fury of the short-lived genre, whilst simultaneously administering doses of 90s garage guitar. A comparable feat is also observed in the EP’s title track. Named after the Welsh term for a deep, wistful longing for home, Hiraeth’s heart is grounded in the rhythm of a ticking clock and pulsing basslines, with spades of grunge-tinted grittiness.
The EP’s standout track is Tír gan anam. A further single to be lifted from the EP, it is a guitar driven confrontation of rampaging percussion, sitting atop haunting vocalic melodies. In true Puck fashion, the track lulls before promptly ripping open into a blistering spin of sound, then gifting listeners a burrowing ear worm of a guitar outro.
Puck’s debut EP is damning evidence that the band appear equally comfortable in any of their chosen genres. After all, one must commend Puck that have managed to do what is often unheard of in the punk genre - they have successfully crafted a punk explosion that is longer than two minutes, and what a debut explosion Hiraeth is.
Gas rating: 4/5
The vinyl album and CD are available to order here:
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss out on gig info and our latest deals
Comments