return with their sophomore album ‘Heavy’, following on from their debut, ‘You’ve Got To Lose It All To Win It All’. The opening couple of tracks stay in fairly charted indie-pop territory, with lyrics focused on romantic encounters, relationship trouble, and mistrust, though the group do a good job of keeping it catchy and to the point. That being said, the track ‘LA Nights’ is where some of the lyrics are too on the nose to allow the listener to consider their own impressions of the song; “You never knew love could make you feel sad” is the most pertinent example of this. The Howlers could benefit from some further use of metaphor in their writing process and leave a bit more to the imagination.

The standout track of the record, the aptly named ‘Viper’, is where the band introduce a heavier, darker feel to the project. The opening riff and cowbell drumbeat set the tone nicely for a track where the group really outline their intentions: “bittersweet, but I like the taste”, frontman Adam Young half-whispers, menacingly, atop the track. “LA morning” continues the run of form on the album, with some of the best lyricism: “everybody’s got a lot to say, like they forgot to sign an NDA… United States of whatever you say” feels like a particularly tongue-in-cheek highlight, poking fun at Hollywood culture. 

The production all over the record is nicely done; nothing sounds out of place, and there is a consistent sound across the project, a credit to , who collaborated with the group on the record. The album finishes strong with the well-named ballad ‘Goodbye’ ending the project on a calm, if melancholy note. A respectable second outing from the East London now duo. 

6/10