Twat Union – Don’t Look It In The Eye | EP Review

Living up to their considerable hype, Twat Union channel their vulgar humour and creative musicianship into their wild debut EP.

Not many new bands get as much positive attention as Twat Union, before releasing their debut EP or embarking on their first headline tour. The London based, six-piece, feminist theatre-punks were already being touted as a name to watch by The Guardian and signing to the prestigious Alcopop! Records. With a live show that’s already becoming the talk of the town for outrageous props and inventive costume changes, Twat Union prove that they’re more than just a gimmick band with their raucous and hilarious debut EP Don’t Look It In The Eye.

From the moment frontwoman Kate Mac opens her mouth at the beginning of the EP, crass jokes and catchy hooks begin spilling onto a sonic canvas fuelled by equally lighthearted punk rock. Opening track ‘Little Pink Drill’ provides a perfect introduction to the lewd and witty world of Twat Union with deliberately unsubtle wordplay and a sing along chorus backed up by a dense wall of distorted guitars complete with a slide guitar solo played with the titular “little pink drill”. This opening track isn’t exactly subtle but, then again, nothing about Twat Union screams quiet sophistication, these girls are dirty, honest and loud, and they own it.

As the EP continues to barrel onwards, Twat Union continue to build steam with their blend of creative, comedic songwriting and innovative instrumentation. Rising above the typical punk rock masses Twat Union take full advantage of their extended line-up with Beth Hopkins providing 80s style saxophone licks and Alice Rivers bringing dense keyboard textures and trumpet stabs with tracks such as ‘Red Flag’ and ‘Danger Boob’ standing out as especially complex despite their playful lyrics. With plenty of similarly furious and funny feminist punk bands including Panic Shack and Lambrini Girls competing for the same audience, Twat Union stand out with their uniquely complex and theatrical approach to their songwriting.

Closing track ‘UTI’ sums up Twat Union’s brutally honest, self-deprecating humour in a stomping sing-along punk track with plenty of competing sonic layers. With overly descriptive lyrics chronicling the burning, itching discomfort of a UTI backed by fuzzed-out guitar riffs and punchy percussion, ‘UTI’ takes a relatable and embarrassing problem and makes it into a hilarious, anthemic hit.

Not only does Twat Union’s debut EP live up to the mountain of hype they’ve built for themselves, Don’t Look It In The Eye sets the six-piece up as the next big name in the UK’s alternative scene. With inventive songwriting and a wicked sense of humour, Twat Union will leave you both dancing and giggling all night long.