Grunge trio The Kut are working London’s basement rock scene with their latest EP, Rock Paper Scissors, set for release next month. Fusing lo-fi grunge and distorted garage rock with their own brand of raw female vocals, it feels like The Kut are definitely onto something here.
It’s hard to put your finger on just what kind of sound The Kut are going for with this EP. The slow, melancholy tempo of ‘Alekhine’s Gun’ resonates with the sludgy sound of grunge, while ‘I Don’t Need Therapy’ has a distinctly Britpop riff going through it with a lighter, upbeat rhythm than other tracks. ‘I Want You Maniac’, on the other hand, has an unnerving spoken verse that has almost all the creepy makings of gothic rock, while the blunt, angsty lyrics of ‘Bad Man’ reveal a ruthless punk attitude. This cacophony of genres, along with the constant pulse of lo-fi distortion that beats throughout, makes for a whirlwind of an EP.
Despite the total jumble of sounds, the lead vocals from frontwoman Princess Maha manage to fit all of them with ease. Spitting with the dirty grit of Courtney Love, harmonising with the natural vocal flow of Debbie Harry and purring with the sultry old-school sound of Joan Jett, she takes the best of rock’s most iconic female vocalists and, from them, produces her own unique vocal creation that is both fresh and distinctive, yet still gives a subtle nod towards her predecessors.
There is a hell of a lot of potential within this EP; if anything, it is over far too soon. But if The Kut release a full-length album that continues down the route of Rock Paper Scissors, they could really shake up the rock scene, especially where us women are concerned.
