Tetchy - "Hounds"

The debut EP from Brooklyn’s Tetchy is a no holds barred, full-frontal emotional assault to the senses. The title, Hounds, conjures images of rabid dogs foaming at the mouth, held back by a chain-linked leash that they’re desperately trying to break. And that’s exactly how the EP’s five songs unravel. They tug and tug with steadily budding angst until the leash snaps, and you’re attacked with massive waves of fury, frustration, and rage. 

The five songs on Hounds sound and feel therapeutic. Each unleashes a series of bottled up emotions, resulting in some intense, sudden fluctuations in sound and mood. The EP’s second single, “Quitter,” is a prime example of this chilling dynamic.  The song starts off softly, but the tone slowly becomes more menacing as frontperson Maggie Denning describes her mounting frustration with falling short of societal expectations. Things become loud and vitriolic about three-quarters of the way into the song, as the guitars go from thrashing to ear-piercing and Denning’s voice goes from conspicuously calm to a gravelly yelp. “Emotional Labor” and “The Fool” follow a similar blueprint with still, yet clearly ominous intros that steadily evolve into a fury of jagged guitar riffs, fuzz, and exasperated roars. The band’s potent rhythm section shines on these two tracks, as Dylan Lapointe’s thumping bass line and Jessie French’s steady, dynamic drumming have some space to spread out, especially on “The Fool.”  “Fascist,” the lead single, flips the script - turning the focus outward instead of inward by tackling the intolerant with choke-slamming guitars and thrashing drums.  The uptempo number has no qualms in suggesting its long past time for any compromises, as Denning sings, “I’m past the point of giving fucks and no I don’t want to make up.” The rollercoaster EP ends on a lighter, but still powerful note with “The World,” a ballad that expounds on the trials and tribulations of life, and how its moments can be both unpredictable and confusing.

I gushed about Tetchy’s live show when “Quitter” was named the Look At My Records song of the week back in January and it’s truly a shame that we won’t be able to experience these songs in person for quite some time.  Their unique and incendiary blend of crunching grunge and snarling post-punk is best experienced in the live setting. You can, however, watch Tetchy perform tonight at 8 pm on The Footlight’s Instagram.  Sharkswimmer and Gorgeous are also scheduled to perform.  All proceeds from the live stream benefit the staff at The Footlight.

You can purchase Hounds on Bandcamp. The EP is also available on all streaming platforms.