Krewella - Ammunition

Krewella
Ammunition
2016
Spotify

2013 was massive for Krewella. Their debut album Get Wet garnered them acclaim in the Electronic world, but a whole lot has changed since then. There was a very loud and litigious breakup from former band mate Kris Trindl whom many (simply because he was the only male in the group) was the driving member. But the Yousaf sisters have bounced back and this EP signals a return to right where they left off. "Beggers" the glitchy, bass heavy EDM banger is a giant middle finger to all the haters. It's aggressive, angsty and frantic which more than sums up Krewella has gone through over these past few years. The sisters don't seem content to stay in a specific lane though if you put a gun to my head you would classify the album as EDM. However songs like "Marching On" feature gentle synth verses only to explode into big drop choruses. Darkness swells throughout the record giving you the impression that the sisters have something to prove but not to you or anyone else, but rather to themselves. "Surrender the Throne" begins innocently enough but turns into a horn filled drum and bass inspired speeding train that the brakes have been blown off of. The vocals are still just as angsty, but they take on a lighter almost jazz feel on this particular track. It is not shocking that Pegboard Nerds gave an assist with this track as their varied style creeps in.

Many of the tracks on this album feature major collaborators, however they are not included as outright partnerships. It seems as though tweeks and re-works have come from the likes of Pegboard Nerds and Diskord. "Ammunition" is where we really see a shift in the groups style. There really is no big drop or bass push on this track which instead could fall into the electropop genre quite easily. It is sparse and lacks any real muscle behind it causing the track to fall a bit flat. Ammunition as a whole is certianly not a re-hash of Get Wet and it honestly couldn't be. With everything that went on behind the scenes with the group they Sisters needed to prove they had their own sound to offer. You will also find a lot less "Let's take the night back" type of lyrics here which is an absolute breath of fresh air in the EDM genre. They have really improved their writing abilities and it pulls their sound out of the straight up dance zone and gives them a more mass appeal. The record as a whole is a good first step, but all the bones are there to be something really great. A fresh start and a new sound is just right for Krewella.

6.9 oout of 10