Album Review: Turtlenecked – Vulture

Turtlenecked is the work of 20 year old Elliot Harrison, the latest album, Vulture, was recorded in Smith’s living room, having graduated from making his previous recordings in his bedroom, and it was released yesterday, the 16th June 2017, via Good Cheer Records. Vulture is an idiosyncratic album that represents an ambitious and compassionate work of post punk baroque and roll that will build on Turtlenecked‘s reputation for being a singular recording artist.

Opening track Boys Club kicks things off with an off key pop intro that sits between disco and classical before the track kicks in with an impassioned attack on toxic masculinity. From here on in Vulture is an unpredictable beast of an album that veers between moments of falsetto pop and muscular punk rage that combines with a manic indie energy and angular post punk rhythm, along with a distinctly pop sensibility, to create a wildly original slab of art punk that confounds any expectations you may have had. Any album that is the work of one person can veer into the self indulgent, the near seven minute long track Tummy proves this with it’s epic groove oriented serial killer perspective, but overall Turtlenecked avoids slipping into the trap of being self indulgent.

If ever there you were looking for something to illustrate the importance of not judging by appearances, Turtlenecked‘s latest release would be a good candidate, beneath the somewhat underwhelming album cover lies a varied and original album that channels influences that vary from The Sparks through to The Dresden Dolls, The Smiths and Wire. I can confidently state I won’t hear anything else even remotely like Vulture this year, and to be honest that probably goes for every other year as well as this is an idiosyncratic and original blend of indie cool and angular post punk

Vulture is now available on extremely limited edition vinyl and download formats via Good Cheer Records.

You can order and stream Vulture via Turtlenecked‘s Bandcamp here