Mark your calendars: Bristol indie group Krooked Tongue are releasing their debut album I Know a Place on 24th April.
Opening with a ringing guitar phrase, ‘I Know a Place’ sets the tone for the album with a simple, commanding motif. The vocals and drums make an appearance simultaneously and the track surges to life with controlled urgency. The chorus is expansive and anthemic, a melody that feels tailor-made for a live setting.
‘You Don’t Need a Sun Tan’ injects a shot of carefree energy into I Know a Place. It opens on a grungy, fuzzy guitar riff and a playful “woo” before the drums crash in, immediately setting a loose, fun tone.
‘Blood Shark’ delivers thick riffs between sections reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age and Royal Blood. The track is a gritty high-energy testament to the lazy and uninspired aspects of ourselves. Its structure builds perfectly as the verses simmer with tension before the drums crash back in for the chorus, strengthened by a clever guitar line that mirrors the vocal melodies. The lyricism has a sharp, self-aware wit, playfully toying with regression in lines like, “You can run and get back to the river, back until you’re scaled,” twisting the idea of moving backwards into a sly image of literal devolution. The track closes the way it began: loud, urgent and riff-led. The ending feels like a lingering sense of unfinished business that demands another spin.
A real standout on I Know a Place is ‘Marigold’ a track that reveals a softer edge to Krooked Tongue without losing their punch. The guitars trade some of the album’s heavier grit for a cleaner, more delicate tone, yet they still carry weight. There’s a nod to indie influences in the vein of Catfish and the Bottlemen. The whole track feels warm and expansive, and the bridge is a genuine highlight. It unfolds gradually, a strong guitar riff anchoring the emotion as the drums build tension before dropping out entirely. ‘Marigold’ feels both cathartic and cinematic. It’s a dynamic, beautifully constructed track, and a compelling contender for the album’s emotional peak.
Gritty, melodic and sonically impressive, I Know a Place plants Krooked Tongue firmly on the map. It’s a tightly constructed debut that feels both raw and deliberate, showcasing a band already refining their identity rather than searching for one.
//Words: Rosie Burgess//