SINCE the release of 2014’s Youth Culture Forever, PAWS remained quite quiet until recently showing off the title track of their forthcoming third album, No Grace, which the band insist is “representative of a transformative period of time in the band’s life and is the gravel-throated affirmation of that ‘do it or die’ attitude that informs any great work of passion”.
With that said, PAWS are definitely back on top form. Their well-established scuzzy pop-punk calls upon the influence of No Grace’s producer, Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus, as it becomes up-beat, brighter, and more bass-driven. ‘Gone So Long’, to be released alongside ‘No Grace’ as a double-A cassette, begins muted before exploding into summery, distorted 4/4 pop. It’s pre-chorus breakdowns and heavy bass/snare rhythms are reminiscent of the angsty American anthems that dominated our youth.
PAWS play Stereo in Glasgow on Saturday 25th June with support from The Spook School. No Grace is out on 17th June on Fat Cat Records. Check out the AA cassette, No Grace Tape, below:
