Teen Creeps are comprised of Hypochristmutreefuzz drummer Ramses Van den Eede, singer-bass player Bert Vliegen (Sophia and Horses) and guitarist Joram De Bock (ex-Deadender).

This Ghent supergroup typify the ‘Daydream Generation’, the demographic that has been reared on a hyper-awareness of ‘the canon’ via instant access and rapid consumption, however these Creeps are determined to respect history without being bound by it.

Unlike the retro-nostalgia pupils from Rock School PLC that permeate the media waves, the Creeps state they are ‘post-everything’, a credo that cements them NOW and THEN not HOW and WHEN on debut long-player Birthmarks.

The Mission of Burma-like throttle of ‘Sidenote’ has a crying plea of “I want to be the last thing on your mind … can I be the last thing on your mind …?”, giving off the queasy effect of a killer’s demands before turning the inner lights out. The last-gasp finale emits a diachronic demise.

Wisdom always comes after the fact on ‘Hindsight’ as these sonic youths identify the fundamentals of existential existence: “sleep all day, comb your hair”. Well, one must look the part, mustn’t one? Fresh faced and newly trimmed, this is a fat-free harking back to less taxing times.

All the elements are in situ on ‘Mercury’, with Thurston Moore, more more, laconic vox backed by quicksilver melodic metal machine musings. ‘Good intentions’ is college rock balladry with a gut-kicking malady, an anti-elitist swipe at A.N.Other who “lets your parents pay for your college degree”. You’ll learn nothing that way, sonny. Probably become POTUS, though.

‘Thread’ proffers more chops than the meat counter at Waitbury’s supermarket. More offal than waffle. ‘Hemispheres’ maps the dichotomies inherent in Earth’s layout, from being poles apart to the Manichaean East/West duality. It’s either/or, us and them, you and me, meant to be. See?

Uncertainty abounds on the Replacements meets Wedding Present blitzkrieg of ‘Unravel’ with its resigned exhortation of ‘I guess I’ll have fun’. With that kind of attitude, Moody Chops, fun’s the last thing you’ll experience.

Standout ‘Forging Kindness’ extends the hand of kinship as we are urged to ‘get closer’ and ‘call them’, well, someone has to make that first move. The triumvirate of poised noise echoes the escalating emotions.

On Birthmarks this gleesome threesome (along with producer Die! Die! Die!’s Rory Attwell) stamp all over your sense of being.

5/5

Words: Kemper Boyd
@dissapointon