CROWS - Is It Better?

 

1. Who are CROWS? 

CROWS are a post-punk band from North London, England. They have been making music since 2013. Their debut single Pray (2015) was a blistering belter; dark and menacing, faintly redolent of the Jesus and Mary Chain and The Stooges while exuding more violence than they ever possessed. It remains one of my favorite songs to this day.

CROWS have recorded two albums and Is It Better? (Sept, 2024) is the third single from their third album Reason Enough (Sept, 2024).

2. What kind of song is Is It Better? 

Is It Better? is a completely different beast to Pray. The sound is British indie pop/post-punk both the old (The Courteeners, Bloc Party, and Interpol - yes, I know) and the older (Suede, Pulp, and Blur). Is it Better? is a catchy song with a melancholic heart that sounds like middle England. It's nice. It throws a few feeble punches out of habit more than maliciousness and is the sound of a man getting older and less rough around the edges. The sound of a band evolving. The bass is catchy, bouncing along faster than an Eskimo's bum making love in the snow, while the guitar hints at internal anguish. Is It Better? isn't better than the ferocious bangers that CROWS have in their back catalogue but it isn't worse either.

3. Who do CROWS sound like? 

Interpol, Fontaines D.C., and The Horrors. 

4. Which bands have influenced CROWS?

Joy Division, Public Image Limited, and IDLES.  

5. What have the cut and paste bandits said about CROWS music?

"The most melodic, hook-filled and accessible sounding record of their career" - Louder Sound. 

"CROWS have always been a band who do things differently" - N.M.E. 

"Exemplary modern punk" - Far Out Magazine. 

"Well, I need a break from my overcrowded mind,

I've been leading myself down a dark and silent line,

Well there's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, 

Nowhere to turn, nothing to find, underneath these stars"