Album Review: Slackrr – Set The Night On Fire
2 min read
There are a handful of bands that have defined Pop Punk in the UK throughout the 2010s, from Neck Deep to Trash Boat. Southampton trio Slackrr may be fresh faces, but they fit in seamlessly with their newest album Set The Night On Fire. Consisting of Scotty Perry (guitar/vocals), Cait Bowyer (bass), and Joe Sammons (drums), the band saw their beginnings in 2018 with the release of their first single Lessons and have since generated a buzz among the UK underground rock scene with over 500 live performances and an acclaimed debut album. Set The Night On Fire is their third full-length release, yet it feels as though the three-piece has been around for much longer.
The record opens with title track Set The Night On Fire. Introduced with a squabble about what takes should be included – a likely realistic glimpse of what goes on in a rising band’s creative process – the track is bursting at the seams with high-energy vocals, driving percussion, snappy riffs and a hook that will leave listeners singing along without even realising it. As the song closes out with lively clapping, an immersive touch, it is not hard to imagine being part of the audience for an electric performance.
This Time is brisk, but there are moments where the tempo slows to make room for Scotty’s raw vocal belts, which are most penetrating in his repetition of “You hollow me out” and “You’re better than this.” Holding On cruises through memories, but rather than diving too far into the youthful angst that its sound suggests, it delivers an inspiring takeaway message: “Keep holding on.” This is not to say that there is a lack of unfiltered emo rock lyricism, as “Life never gets easier” stands as the anthem of Ebb & Flow, and “Everything is gonna be okay,” is posed as a falsehood in Lie To Me. Bad Blood encapsulates the push and pull of a relationship with its back and forth chorus and an impassioned breakdown of climbing guitar melodies meshed with a tangle of overlapping vocals. Closer Change Of Pace holds true to its name as it alternates between potent instrumentation and pockets of quiet introspection over what could have been in a relationship best described as a “Greek tragedy”.
Set The Night On Fire has a seasoned sound through which Slackrr convey a sense of relatability and connection to listeners as they recount relationships, come to terms with mistakes and confront the fact that life does come with challenges. Through it all, there are glimmers of acceptance. The band appears comfortable in their style with this new release, and it is one that invites listeners to settle in and hear what Slackrr are all about.
