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Coming onto the rock and grunge scene can be intimidating. You’re following in the footsteps of grunge gods like Nirvana and Alice in Chains whilst competing with bands like Royal Blood who come at you all guitars blazing. Bloodhound’s debut album Fragile Skeleton tries to create the perfect middle ground amongst all this, whilst still experimenting. Their rough-around-the-edges-rock comes up against atmospheric tracks, leaving you wondering what direction this trio from Hull are going in.

Bloodhound are unrestrained in their music, which comes across in wild tracks that become lost in heavy grunge melodies. Punchy opener ‘Everyone Is My Friend’ introduces the crashing drums and pounding riffs that throw you into a mental mosh pit. The fast-paced rhythms sweep by. Whilst being incredibly energetic, the guitars can get caught up in a mess of melody particularly in ‘Praise’. It’s only when the vocals come through does the song become more centred.

This chaotic start is balanced out by the more restrained rock tracks in the second half of the album. Their moments of clarity come with this more subdued approach, leading to the bristling track ‘Am I Okay?’ where Bloodhound shine. ‘FRSTRTD’ shows the influence of their grunge predecessors. They encompass the frustration of feeling trapped, emphasised by the droning backing vocals. The bridge is reminiscent of Nirvana as well as the desperate vocals. The experimental interlude towards the end of the track goes into space age-y territory, sticking out like a sore thumb.

Fragile Skeleton drifts in and out of soft rock with synths and a lo-fi sound sneaking its way into the album. ‘Cold’ melts away from the monotonous guitars into a melange of riffs, drifting along on emotion. ‘Try (Interlude)’ again puts Bloodhound’s sound into question. 

Moseying along from indie into pure rock, the band is hard to pin down. What can be said for sure is that if the trio strike a balance, they could lead the way in new-age grunge.