Narrow Head – “Hard To Swallow”

Na'Stacia Ellis

Narrow Head – “Hard To Swallow”

Na'Stacia Ellis

Back in June, the Houston-based, ’90s-indebted scuzz-rock masters Narrow Head announced their sophomore album, 12th House Rock. So far we’ve heard “Night Tryst” and “Stuttering Stanley.” Now, with the album’s arrival coming up at the end of the month, the band has shared another one.

The latest preview of 12th House Rock is called “Hard To Swallow,” and perhaps appropriately it’s got a bit more jaggedness to it than its predecessors. Distorted guitars always rush through Narrow Head compositions, but there’s a sharper, more aggressive lurch to “Hard To Swallow” rather than any kind of charge forward. Perhaps that’s because it comes from some pretty specific reference points: Helmet and Quickness era Bad Brains. For much of the song, the guitars chug and grate, Jacob Duarte initially maintaining his usual slacker-rock drawl. But then he lets loose with a strangled howl on the chorus, giving the whole thing a darker vibe than what we’ve heard from 12th House Rock otherwise thus far.

Check it out below.

12th House Rock is out 8/28 on Run For Cover. Pre-order it here.

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