Album Of The Week: NGHTCRWLRS’ Raging Hot

Since the dawn of social media, bands have been spelling their names in all capital letters. Some even use witty abbreviations or a different spelling of a word to make a striking impression. New Jersey punks NGHTCRWLRS follow that trend, and it would be a tad comical if their latest album, Raging Hot, wasn’t so fantastic. It’s a scorching album with energetic rhythms.

The quartet’s second release is a great follow-up to their self-titled debut that came out in February of last year. Guitarists Frank DeFranco and Eric Goldberg, bassist Brian Goglia and drummer Max Rauch alternate on vocals and at some points they join their voices to create excellent harmonies. Their ability to walk the fine line between being raw and being polished makes their sound stand out. The tracks on Raging Hot are a mix of abrasive and intense rock anthems and jazzy and mellow tunes. It shows how much they dig having variety in their sound and the result is an enjoyable listening experience.

Given the current social and political climate, people are calling for another golden age of punk rock. On the other hand there are people like me who say that if you do your research you’ll discover that punk hasn’t been through as much of an ebb and flow as the mainstream likes to portray. The genre has always been going strong in the underground where it has been thriving for decades. Thanks to bands like NGHTCRWLRS, we can all be assured it will continue to thrive. For research purposes, let’s delve into my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week:

The lead single “Are Two Dee Too” is one of the more mellow songs off of Raging Hot, but the chorus is hard-hitting and emotional. DeFranco’s and Goldberg’s guitars unleash electrifying fury that’s contagious. Not only is it a magnificent pairing, “Coffee and Weed” is a minute-long rager that’s extremely emphatic. There’s also the low-key reprise song titled “Weed and Coffee” that’s a bit more laid back. “Rot” has a distinct shoegaze influence with a dark tone and a fuzzy melding of all the instruments.

As of this writing, NGHTCRWLRS don’t have any shows announced for the imminent future. You can bet that they’ll be playing out more in support of the new album. Let’s hope they come play at one of the many great music venues in Providence sometime soon. Until they roll through your friendly neighborhood music venue, grab a copy of Raging Hot. Give it a listen and you’ll see that the album lives up to its name.

Stream Raging Hot via Bandcamp: nghtcrwlrs.bandcamp.com/album/raging-hot; Like NGHTCRWLRS on Facebook: facebook.com/NGHTCRWLRS