The Kut – ‘Rock Paper Scissors’ [Review]
The Kut have really won me over with their fresh and epic blend of assorted alt-rock stylings. When they hit their creative and original stride, the Kut look set to do some serious damage to any stuck-in-the-mud traditionalist’s sanity; but on this EP, the harsh truth is that they’re not quite consistent enough.
Rock Paper Scissors comprises four tracks, two of which are absolutely fucking awesome, and two of which to be honest feel stuck in the past. Punky ode to Halloween I Want You Maniac and the Hole-esque I Don’t Need Therapy are good songs, no doubt about it – but they’re totally overshadowed by the potential that oozes from every second of Alekhine’s Gun and Bad Man. The former blends dark Deftones vibes with some out-of-nowhere and attention-paralyzing screams, while Bad Man combines simple and grim lyricism with Karen O’s set-in-granite attitude – and should the Kut pursue the direction hinted at in those tracks, they’re guaranteed to graduate from descriptors like “great grunge-inspired band” to frenzied screams of “HOLY SHIT – YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS, AND IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT THEN GO DRILL A HOLE IN A MIRROR AND FUCK YOURSELF!”
The Kut could go two ways from here: Becoming one of the best at doing something that’s already been done, or occupying and dominating a unique niche of their own. You can’t compete with individuality, and in a year or two it’s unlikely that many alt-rock-fuelled and female-driven bands will be able to seriously compete with the Kut, provided they keep Courtney Love’s fear-free approach to life and use it to take more steps outside their comfort zone.
TMMP RATING: 78%
Links
Rock Paper Scissors is set to drop on April 13th via Criminal Records.
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