L.A. WITCH ‘PLAY WITH FIRE’ ALBUM REVIEW

L.A. Witch, an American rock trio formed in California, are releasing ‘Play With Fire’, a fierce album which refuses to be confined to any typical musical boundaries.  

From the first strum of the guitar in the opening track, ‘Fire Starter’, L.A. Witch proclaims the resurrection of punk-rock with immediate effect. In the recent past, it has been rare to see punk trios raise their instruments to adoring crowds, but this scarcity only fuels the burning passion of LA Witch’s music and cements their place in the rock world. 

Homage is clearly paid to legendary bands, Joy Division and Nirvana but, despite this, there’s an edge of psych, and even dream-pop, evident in tracks ‘Dark Horse’ and ‘Maybe the Weather’. There are vibrations, there is pure adrenaline and there’s unmistakeable confidence which radiates from the trio. Best of all… it’s classic. With traditional bass, guitar and drums and in true punk fashion, unnecessary complexities are thrown out the window, so all that remains is scorching energy and the roots of rock. 

In terms of lyrics, it’s clear that the girls pay tribute to their generation. Whilst they open up about security, judgements and self-reflection, what differentiates this take, is the reminiscence of brashness and heat. L.A. Witch may be candid, but they aren’t dwelling on anything.

With garage, classic rock, aggressive punk and even dream pop all rolled into one, the core of LA Witch is bursting with so much potential. Because of this, befitting its title this album has successfully proved itself fabulously fiery. 

‘Play With Fire’ is out on Friday 21st August and available on all streaming platforms.