Survival Knife – Loose Power

The Rise of Post Punk

Bands taking on post-punk and post-hardcore are continuously proving themselves to be some of the most innovative musicians on the scene today, and with their newest release Loose Power, Survival Knife is setting themselves up to be a part of this takeover. A staple in “post-” music, both punk and hardcore, is the use of more aggressive, heavy styles contrasted with softer, kinder parts in each song, and this is a dichotomy that Survival Knife blends in an effortless, engaging way. While Loose Power may not entirely stick out alongside the number of mewithoutyou-inspired records being produced these days, it is still worth a listen or two.

With atonal, almost abrasive vocals reminiscent of Ink & Dagger that give way to softer, prettier singing, Survival Knife has something for every type of post-punk fan. “Gold Widow” is an example of how heavy they can get, while the the closing track “Heaven Has No Eyes” shows the listeners their softer side. A highlight comes right in the middle with “Cut the Quick,” which runs the gamut of their influences and demonstrates their technical abilities as a group. Though merely seven songs, Loose Power is a great example of where things can go in the post-punk genre, taking tips from so many other great bands and putting Survival Knife’s own personal twist on it.

With their earlier singles coming out on labels as notable as Sub Pop and Kill Rock Stars, we can only hope to see bigger and more exciting things to come from Survival Knife. With other notable current bands like Creepoid and Fucked Up to learn from (and follow in the footsteps of), and with a debut as solid as Loose Power, more great music is sure to follow. 2014 is shaping up to be a landmark year in post-punk and Survival Knife is making sure that they will be right up front, paving the way for more great releases in the future.