Despite the fact that they only have a couple EP’s to their name, Wallflower have been in demand. Making the rounds with Boston Manor, Knuckle Puck and more, they’ve been championed by BBC Radio 1 and filled various festival slots. Now that their eagerly anticipated debut, Teach Yourself To Swim, is here, we ask if it lives up to the hype.
The short answer is a resounding YES.
But we can’t leave it there, can we? Teach Yourself To Swim starts off incredibly strong; ‘A Parody Of…’, ‘Eat Away At My Heart’ and ‘Dread’ being three of the punchiest songs we’ve heard in a very long time. The tempo shifts slightly after that with songs like ‘Blood And Stone’ and the existential reflections of ‘Anacrusis’ slowing things down, but never compromising on power.
Something that they’re incredibly skilled at, is hitting you with the dirtiest, sludgiest breakdown right after a tender moment and the impact is magnetic on songs like ‘Hungry Eyes’ and ‘Passer-by’.
Another thing that stands out about this album is how feelings are conveyed through song structure and instrumentation. ‘Doom In Your Head’ has a very ominous loungy feeling, whereas the layered vocals on ‘The Distance’ give you a sense of displacement.
There are glimpses of bands like Black Foxxes, Selfish Things and Underoath throughout the album, but this is very much Wallflower; their sound, their heart and soul and it’s phenomenal.
With so much more to say about this album, our only advice is to experience every striking moment of it for yourself.
