Petrol Girls are only just entering their third year of existence, but sophomore EP ‘Some Thing’ proves that they have a lot to offer in the future. The London based feminist post-hardcore quartet are still riding strong after the release of 2014’s self-titled debut, and this latest effort both delivers hard on the hardcore energy of the first release while taking its time to play around a little more with their melodic side – and in this case, it’s both for better and for worse.
‘Some Thing’ roars into life with ‘Slug’, a frenetic riff-packed jam ushering us in to Petrol Girls’ second EP, before the song evolves into something a little more restrained. The group trade off the intense energy of the opening bars for something far more melodic, and then bring both weird riffs and melodic harmonies together for a killer breakdown. By the time we reach the halfway mark, ‘Slug’ really starts reaching its groove, a final chorus built up perfectly into a powerful outro. It’s a tune that rewards repeat listens, a mission statement of the band’s current sound stitched together beautifully.
It’s the second track, though, ‘Protagonist’, that really is the high point here. Where ‘Slug’ tones down its post-hardcore riffs for the chorus, ‘Protagonist’s is furious, fast-paced and totally captivating, with the quiet verses providing the contrast that makes the chorus shine so much. Even in its quieter moments, it lacks the melodic moments that define the other two tracks here – it’s a testament to how well Petrol Girls do the faster, harder, riff-led stuff that the absence of melody really isn’t missed. The balance between the two is clearly something that the group have been working on since their debut ‘Restless’, and while the harder, harsher moments are the ones that seem to hit better and last longer, this balance is, for the most part, pretty solid.
With that said, ‘Separated’ is probably the weakest track here, and it’s the most melodic. It’s a shame, because there are moments here where Petrol Girls are at their most experimental – a mix of ethereal harmonies and echoed guitar lines before the heavier riff kicks in is pretty sick. That’s the risk with experimentation. It can produce great results, but ‘Separated’ ends up feeling a little disconnected. It lacks ‘Protagonist’s simplicity, and the more natural inclusion and evolution of melody and harmony that goes on in ‘Slug’, and the result is a bunch of decent to good moments awkwardly glued together.
There is definite growth in ‘Some Thing’ from their earlier effort, and, just as then, it is at its peak when Petrol Girls are throwing pure fury down our gullets. Even at their weakest, in ‘Separated’, the experimental moments are actually pretty cool, just failing to hit home as effectively as the rawer energy the group bring so well to ‘Slug’ and ‘Protagonist’. Still, two out of three excellent songs is no small achievement, and if Petrol Girls keep pushing themselves like this then they’re definitely a band to watch out for.
WILL BRIGHT