Album Review: Teen Creeps – Forever

The 2018 debut album from Belgium’s Teen Creeps “Birthmarks” received plenty of positive reviews for it’s 90’s influenced grungy, alternative guitar rock. Their musical output originated some years before this however with the self-released 5 track ‘EP’ back in 2014, showing just how much they wear their 90’s fuzzy, indie rock influences on their sleeves.

Their new album ‘Forever’, that is set for release on January 22nd, sticks closely to the formula that clearly works for them and their expanding fan base. Opening track ‘Seeing Shapes’, the album’s lead single, is full of choppy guitars and fast paced drum beats overlaid with melancholic vocals. Setting the tone for the remaining nine tracks the pace varies but the feel and atmosphere don’t. ‘Signal Dream’ slows things down considerably but is still packed full of searing guitar riffs and heavy drum beats. ‘Fall Out’ rips things apart with it’s full on, high speed, intense sonics. ‘Brothers’ then drags us back into that fast/slow/fast/slow pattern of songs, one minute you want to leap around, the next you’re completely drawn in by the vocals and the emotions “But you’re tugging at my heartstrings, I’d hate to see you drown. Just remember how we got here, what’s lost can still be found” overlaying a rhythm that, in a live setting, would likely have you swaying gently belting out the lyrics in a huge venue filling singalong.

Frantic, rocket speed drum beats, fuzzed up guitar riffs and deep rolling bass lines are here in abundance, but Teen Creeps also have the courage to bring in slower, mellower tunes that give a more mature feel to their new output. Add in vocals that range from angst ridden screeching to deeply thoughtful, pensive and emotionally charged and yes, chunks of ‘Forever’ could be lifted straight from the catalogue of ‘The Greatest Indie Guitar Albums Of The 90’s’ but there’s nothing wrong with that, and it certainly doesn’t feel dated. It was said about Teen Creeps debut album, and it’s hard to disagree when listening to their second, that the band that came to mind when playing ‘Forever’ for the first time was Dinosaur Jr., there’s also elements of Sugar, Sonic Youth and, at a push, The Jesus and Mary Chain. Considering all these bands (or founding members of them) are still releasing new material that’s as relevant nowadays as it was 25 years ago why shouldn’t a young band stamp their own seal of approval on those sounds and release something that’s just as good as the output from the big players of that genre. Because that’s exactly what Teen Creeps have done with this.

‘Forever’ can be pre-ordered on download and limited edition tape via the Sentimental Records‘ Bandcamp here, the album is also available on limited edition blue vinyl, cd and download via [PIAS] here.