American Wrestlers – “Give Up”

American Wrestlers – “Give Up”

American Wrestlers’ self-titled debut was a true diamond in the rough, a lo-fi collection of timelessly hazy pop songs that practically glowed with homespun warmth. We named the new project from Scottish expat Gary McClure a Band To Watch and one of the 50 best new bands of 2015 on the strength of that first LP, and now they’re already getting ready to follow it up with a new one called Goodbye Terrible Youth.

Since McClure’s anonymous 8-track recordings first surfaced online in late 2014, American Wrestlers have swelled from a solo bedroom project to a full honest-to-god band, now featuring his wife Bridgette Imperial on keys, Ian Reitz on bass, and Josh Van Hoorebeke on drums. That personnel upgrade comes with a corresponding sound upgrade, but if anything, the increased fidelity only adds to the sense that you’re listening to some lost FM classic.

“I wanted to write songs that bridged the gap better between audience and stage,” McClure says of the new album. “Faster, louder more distortion. Something you can do handstands and backflips and start small fires to.” Lead single “Give Up” definitely fits the bill, managing the neat trick of delicately shimmering and seriously rocking out at the same time, and you can hear it below.

Tracklist:

01 “Vote Thatcher”
02 “Give Up”
03 “So Long”
04 “Hello, Dear”
05 “Amazing Grace”
06 “Terrible Youth”
07 “Blind Kids”
08 “Someone Far Away”
09 “Real People”

Goodbye Terrible Youth is out 11/4 via Fat Possum. Pre-order it here.

American Wrestlers

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