Bruise Control: Bruise Control
Bruise Control do not ease you in. Their self-titled EP moves fast, packing sharp songs into a runtime where only one track stretches beyond three minutes. Nothing lingers longer than it needs to. There are no extended solos and no sense of showing off, just tightly focused playing with clear intent. The EP feels built for the stage, carrying a tension that seems ready to explode live.
‘Be Like You’ sets the tone for the EP and works perfectly as an opener, with a full-throated vocal and blazing riffs pulling you straight into the music. It serves as a reminder to blow off steam with your mates, even when things feel hopeless. I would have liked the song to run slightly longer, as the closing moments feel as though they are building toward something bigger before ending quite abruptly. ‘Left Behind’ carries a wistful tone in its lyrics, exploring how a city that once felt like home can begin to feel unfamiliar as gentrification strips character from the creative spaces it was built on. Written after the loss of Manchester’s Brunswick Mill rehearsal space, it mourns the disappearance of these places through explosive guitars and a strong sense of urgency. It is a theme that listeners from cities across the UK will recognise as the landscapes of their own hometowns continue to change.
‘Spinners Mill’ and ‘If You’re Not Mine’ reflect the frustrations of daily life, from balancing relationships with paying rent to the guilt of struggling to help others while trying to stay afloat yourself. ‘Gone to Ground’ maintains the forward motion, with guitars and drums combining into something larger while the lyrics capture the pressure of holding everything together even when perfection is out of reach. ‘If You’re Not Mine’ looks closely at the strain within relationships, its unsettled energy mirroring the turbulence of our inner lives. ‘Jumping Ship’ closes the EP with the feeling of a shared exhale, expressing the desire to slow down or step away when nothing around you seems to improve. Throughout the record, movement becomes a way of finding release wherever it can be found.
For fans of early Arctic Monkeys, particularly ‘Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not’, as well as Jet and The Dandy Warhols with a sharper punk edge, Bruise Control will feel like a natural fit. That same urgency drives their growing reputation on stage, built through touring and shared bills with bands such as Amyl & The Sniffers and appearances at key UK festivals including 2000 Trees and Manchester Punk Festival.