Single Review: Butter the Children-True Crime EP

There's a chance you missed out on Butter the Children's debut EP last year. Maybe it was seemingly nonsensical name. Maybe it was graphic and slightly off putting artwork. I don't know. All I know is you missed out on seven, delightfully warped and dark songs, that manged to blend seemingly every indie-rock subgenre together into a cohesive blend. And now that excellence has been distilled into a concentrated form with their first proper release, the True Crime EP.

“Spit it Out” could have easily fit on Butter the Children’s demo. A noisy, tough and tart track, Inna Mkrtycheva’s vocals never are never more anguished, and the guitars are never as wonderfully warped and distorted as they are here. The damaged emotional core that lays secretly at the core of Butter the Children’s songs, hid by jagged hooks and the band’s warped style, has never been more on display. “Loose” is a re-recording of one of the best songs of their debut “Lupus” and serves as the EPs transition song. It is still great, a supremely catchy song, largely in part to the song’s central riff, this sort of “jangle-pop shoegaze” sound that is completely memorizing in its warble. Though compared to the original, the slight drop in urgency that was previous there detracts from it, even if the backing rhythm section shines much brighter. However, the small step back in energy helps to segue nicely into possibly Butter the Children’s quietest song to date “Dennis”. It’s almost disconcerting when first heard, not a hint of distortion, just wonderful chimming guitars and Mkrtycheva voice. Even when the noise does kick in, (slowly and introduced by acoustic guitar no less) it’s never overwhelming, so the song can always maintain its bouncy charm be as close as the pop song they want it to be.

The whole True Crime EP lasts less than seven minutes, but that’s all the band needs to get anyone addicted to their absolutely wonderful blend of off-kilter, distorted indie rock and jangle & hook filled post-punk. If their demo wasn't enough last year, Butter the Children show they can be just as great bright and studio polished as when they were scuzzy and murky.



Links:

Butter the Children's Website
Buy the True Crime EP here, from Downtown Records