Album Review: Howler – ‘This One’s Different’

   On paper, Rough Trade’s recent signing, Howler, sound like every other band that have come and gone leaving a vague memory of skinny jeans and messy hair in their wake. Yes Howler are yet another band flogging glamorous indie rock n roll and belting guitars. You could be forgiven for thinking “big deal, bands like this come and go in a blink of an eye”. That is your first mistake. Despite this façade, the Minneapolis four-piece are not just another carbon copy of The Strokes, The Vaccines et al.
Lead singer and songwriter, Jordan Gatesmith is in fact their secret weapon in chart domination, a slight exaggeration perhaps but take a listen and tell me that I am wrong.
‘This One’s Different’ is 15 minutes of Gatesmith voicing his feelings like many a good songwriter does. And this boy does it well. The highlight of this EP though, is the gem ‘I Told You Once’ which sounds like the love child of Razorlight circa 2004 and Damien Rice. The sneering put down “I wish there was something I could do ‘cause I hate myself more than I hate you” on the track will be the best line featured in a song all year. I bet my nail polish collection on it.
On the basis of this debut EP, Howler are built to last and come their debut album which can’t come soon enough, they’ll be giving their touring chums The Vaccines a run for their money. Oh and your second mistake? You don’t already have this EP lodged snugly among your CD collection.