Album Review: LA Witch – Play With Fire

L.A. Witch set off with this sophomore album due out on 21 August via Suicide Squeeze Records like a the world was about to end in a fireball at any moment. So to track one ‘Fire Starter’ this heats up right from the off, with Queens Of The Stone age vibes that thread through the heart of every riff, dirty gritty Rock n Roll which wipes its feet on your ears.

‘Play With Fire’ shows off the bands learning curve, unrelenting and driven by a rhythm section of Irita Pai on Bass and Ellie English hammering out the beats on drums, this soaked in Sanchez’s burning vocal, gives it a wonderful dark seedy basement flavour .  Releasing ‘I Wanna Lose’ as the precursor to the album was a perfect choice, it smoulders wonderfully, both musically and vocally, building a fire under the rest of the tracks.

‘Dark Horse’ is possibly the most vulnerable song on the album, it feels like a pouring out that gives a sense of darkness, but with the wonderful acoustic rhythms flowing threw it, lift you up in a sensual way.  ‘Sexorexia’ on the other hand, defiantly hits out with a self confidence that speaks of not being pushed around, taking the bull by the horns and dragging yourself out of the pit of darkness.  

What defines LA Witch’s sound and throws out of the confines of being labelled, is their need to produce something that draws from obvious influence but with no real grabbing on to the past, a sonic style that is a pure melting pot of originality, with psychedelic wanderings, acoustic beauty, grunge rock n roll, then a mess of confidence, vulnerability, anger and all tied together with a self belief that is never over stated.

Is this a keeper or a weeper?  

A definite keeper, although you do get a little bruised and battered along the way.

Get ya hands on the album from 21st August at SUICIDE SQUEEZE RECORDS

Connect with the band at their Facebook HERE

Take a listen at LA Witch’s Bandcamp