Cokefloat! by PAWS is released 10.09.2012 in North America via Fat Cat.
Cokefloat!, the debut album from the self-described lo-fi-garage-punk-rock group PAWS, won’t disappoint fans of this, errr…these genres. The Scottish three-piece has pulled together 13 tracks from its past two years of writing, and the result is a collection of relatable life experiences.
Distorted guitars and raw vocals are signatures of this urgent but under-produced record. Fuzzy vocals make their way into several tracks, like Pony and Get Bent. Sore Tummy, is a clear standout with female vocals by Alice Costelloe, and conveys the vague feel of Sebadoh.
There isn’t anything that really stands out as new on this album — not its basic guitar riffs, bass lines or rhythms, and the lyrics aren’t even necessarily clever either. BUT… I fucking love this record. After listening to it in full over and over (and over again), I still can’t help but move to it. And, after a particularly long and shitty day, Cokefloat! feels… cathartic.
Personal favorites, in addition to the album’s single, Sore Tummy, include Boregasm, Jellyfish, Homecoming and Tulip. Some of my favorite, satisfyingly-vengeful lines pop up in Homecoming: “Smashed your teeth off with a pipe when we were 8; I used to feel sorry, but now it feels great.” Makes me laugh every time.
PAWS’ Cokefloat! is everything I hope to hear from a garage-rock group — and here’s a fun side note: The album’s title and artwork don’t have anything to do with the album itself; the group borrowed the title and art from a much-loved comic strip from Jessica Penfold.
— By Erin Torrance, a recent Publishing graduate venturing into the world of music. Erin lives in a flea-market chic apartment in Toronto with the love of her life and best friend — her cat Bea.
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