Review Summary: Maybe next time.
How easy it would be to stand up here and turn this review into a State of the Union Address on Scowl vs. the mouthbreathers of r/hardcore and other curmudgeons who gatekeep genre purity and like to maintain their scene as a no-fun zone, but it's an argument that isn't worth any well-adjusted person's time. Of course, going soft and doing Pabst Blue Ribbon sponsorships as a hardcore band isn't a great way to harbour good will amongst DIY lifers, but this is an album review, and I find it hard to criticize any band for finding relative success through pursuing art. Isn't that what we all wish we were doing?
It is difficult to talk about Scowl without providing some context, though, so I'll keep it bare.
Are We All Angels represents a big shift in Scowl's sound, fast-forwarding the tape from 80s-inspired mid-tempo hardcore to a distinctly 90s Californian take on melodic punk and alternative rock ala Hole and L7—clean singing and all, which is an important point of contention. Kat's clean singing on this album is serviceable, and sometimes even good, but often lacks the charisma or range to really empower the rest of the band. Probably the biggest shame is that Kat's harsh vocals sound more vicious and controlled than ever here, and some of the best parts of this album are absolutely when the two vocal styles are mixed together and the energy is high, but they aren't utilized nearly enough. It's the reason the opening song "Special" is also arguably the best. The guitars are punchy and sharp, but the vocal melody is catchy, and the harsh vocals that come in during the second verse just give the song such a perfect pop of intensity to drive it home. Second track "B.A.B.E." keeps the energy rolling with more harsh vocals and familiar Scowl riffs before sliding in a melodic chorus that feels nicely incorporated into the song. "Not Hell, Not Heaven", despite lacking the vocal aggression, is another early highlight due to its pure energetic catchiness. But then the cracks in Scowl’s new face paint start to appear the further they drift into alt-rock territory. We end up with songs like "Tonight (I'm Afraid)" and "Suffer the Fool (How High Are You?)", where the melodies and vocal performances just aren't strong enough to keep the slower rhythms and repetitive riffs from dragging, although the former at least redeems itself in the final third. It's moments like these where some more harsh backing vocals or some creative interplay between the guitars would have really brought the songs to life. Some other songs like "Fleshed Out" even come with the added debuff of strangely processed singing that doesn't seem to suit the dry-cut tone of the guitar whatsoever, and at this point a song called "Let You Down" just felt like a twisted joke.
But don't get me wrong,
Are We All Angels has enough small victories to keep it going, and even at its worst is still a reasonably fun, albeit cartoonishly flat listen that is much more likely to pop off in a live setting. Scowl's push toward melodicism is overall a step in a positive direction; certainly nobody loves to see punks embrace melody more than me, but it feels like Scowl is still trying to appease their old fans and branch out at the same time, and they end up handicapping themselves in the process. I think if they keep developing their songwriting chops and branch out a little further, they could have a truly great album in them. In the meantime,
Are We All Angels is a solid prototype.
