Katie Malco - “Creatures”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 2

Pairs Well With…Middle Kids, Phoebe Bridgers, Silversun Pickups

Six years after her last EP Tearing Ventricles, Katie Malco returned in 2019 with “Creatures”, a full-throated grunge rock/pop track to highlight Malco’s melancholy songwriting. Power pop and breezy rock modes also inform “Creatures”, a catchy track even when surrounded with reverb and crunch. It opens up as well in its last post-chorus, pulling back the guitars for a minute to reveal the vulnerability at the core of Malco’s sound. It’s a far leap from the UK artist’s early material - Tearing Ventricles is mostly spare piano ballads that are also a good fit for Malco and a place to highlight her sweeping, natural vocal tone. While “Creatures” is evolved in a new direction, her threads of emotional, soft power translates in a cool way when surrounded by guitars and rock rhythms. It’ll be interesting to hear if this is just a one-off sound or if Malco is fully committed to turning up the volume as she showcases at SXSW and with whatever releases she has cooked up for 2020. (Kevin McStravick)