They’ve been building up to something grander for a while – dealing with the mixed emotions of releasing their second EP a week into a pandemic along the way – and you’ll be happy to hear that Seattle quartet Biblioteka are anything but ‘Checked Out’. Far from it, in fact – their debut full-length crackles with vitality and gets a lot out of a traditional rock band setup.
By the way, did we mention they’ve got a serious way with a hook, because they do – whether it’s navigating the twin terrors of isolation and anxiety on appropriately agitated opener ‘Tick Tock’, or ruefully taking stock of one’s place in the world after surviving a knife attack (as they do on the pointed ‘Where Did We Go Wrong’ – it’s a true story); or even covering 70s New Wave-punk crossovers Los Microwaves on ‘TV in My Eye’, their album is a compelling listen: no frills, all thrills.
It’s called Pretty Ugly, it’s out tomorrow via Freakout Records, and we’re streaming the whole thing early. Tap in below:
