Bitch Falcon are the acclaimed Irish trio bringing their unique blend of ‘dream grunge’ to the rock scene with their debut full length, Staring At Clocks.
Let’s talk about that genre definition. Genre labels are becoming increasingly more and more redundant in the days of the internet, when the entire history of music is at the hands of the creatives of today – and in this case, it’s a variety of influences heard in the brutal fragility of Bitch Falcon’s sound.
Frontwoman Lizzie Fitzpatrick’s voice is hazed over, lost in the layers of fuzzy grunge production, yet remaining ethereal in its tone. Guitar lines ring out over the top of tracks like ‘Sold Youth’ in a homage to My Bloody Valentine, whilst the rest of the muddy mix might remind listeners of The Pixies or Torche.
Ballad ‘Turned to Gold’ really shows off the siren-esque power behind Fitzpatrick’s vocals, an absolute call of melancholic despair set to echoes and a ferocious drum track laid down by Nigel Kenny. This track is truly an emotional standout of the album.
This fluid haze is counterpointed by the disjointed power of next track, ‘How Did I Know’, which makes use of syncopated riffs and synth flourishes. Another highlight. From the early days of their first single, ‘Wolfstooth’ to their most recent prior release ‘Damp Breath’, a highly promising evolution in sound can be heard as the group have perfected and refined their raw, fuzz-laced offerings over six singles and one EP.
The culmination of album centrepiece and title track ‘Staring At Clocks’ is the perfect exemplifier of this band’s sound – a cacophonous climax with feedback loops and distorted vocals feels both fuzzy and delicate, abrasive and hypnotic – a truly contrarian take on the grunge genre, and one that breathes fresh life into the rock scene.
Overall, Bitch Falcon are a truly unique beast, taking influences from opposite ends of the 90s – grunge and shoegaze – in order to create a remarkable debut which is quite unlike anything else out there right now. A must-listen.