There’s a faint line between shoegaze and grunge, one that is walked by Allusondrugs. Their debut EP is released tomorrow (July 21), and it’s a powerful release that will turn heads and draw some attention to a band that are on the cusp of collapsing into a vacuum of fuzzy guitars and spacey vocals.

The EP starts as it means to go on – with a shoegrunge powerhouse track in the form of ‘I’m Your Man’, with its driving drums and catchy chorus one of the highlights of the entire release. It’s a fantastic view into what the band is capable of, and that is raw catchy songs with dreamy emotion.

It’s an intense ride from there, with the intensity soaring for the in-your-face punk-pop of ‘Ted, What’s The Porn Like In Heaven’ (the weakest track on the EP) and the bass-driven ‘Cherry Pie’. The passion and the power in every track is clear to see, carrying the punk rock spirit on their muscular riffs. Few do it better, putting Allusondrugs on a level playing field with Biffy Clyro.

‘Nervous’ is the EP’s strongest moment, with its restrained instrumentation setting up a tent in the shoegaze camp this time around. This change of pace is a brave decision by the band, but there is never any doubt that ‘Nervous’ is strong enough to persevere. The self-doubting lyrics allow for a few nuances of artistic beauty, such as the clever delivery of lines like “I can only say on paper, ‘I love……you’“, and are sure to become a staple of angst-fuelled outsider teen listening*. Add some trippy guitars to that and you’ve got all you need.

The EP in itself is an enjoyable view into a world of swirling guitars and intense-yet-relaxed vocals, one with a lot to offer in the future and a lot of potential. Allusondrugs are a band that are full of surprises, because nobody would expect a band that brings the punk power of ‘Ted…’ to also deliver the lumbering musical behemoth that is ‘Thingio’.
The EP does what every good EP does: it puts the band on show, in all their glory, and is so good that they have no choice but to follow it up with a full album. And we will wait patiently, in our little hazy world of fuzz and screams, for that album.

The album is available for pre-order/purchase here, and can be streamed below.

*Not to belittle the song, it’s become a staple of our listening too!

9/10