The Tubs - Cotton Crown (2025)

Jangle rock in the hands of U.K.'s The Tubs is an unexpected world of possibility. Charter members of London's loose confederation of musicians known as Gob Nation, the songwriting team of Owen Williams and George Nicholls—both formerly of the now defunct Welsh noise pop band Joanna Gruesome—along with drummer Taylor Stewart and bassist Max Warren, have mastered the art of setting tortured doubts to soaring, generally sweet melodies on their second album, Cotton Crown. No song better showcases this than "One More Day," which is paced like a more desperate version of R.E.M.'s "It's The End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." This impassioned plea for another chance is meant for a love interest who sounds like no Juliet, "And I thought of you in the dark/ Laughing, vaping in the dark/ Coughing, wheezing in my arms."

As chiming as the Counting Crows' best moments, opener "The Thing Is" starts with a downbeat, "You said you've never met someone you hate like me," which is quickly countered with "Baby I know I'll get away with it/ Know the words I have to say/ To make you love me anyway." If you've ever wondered what Richard Thompson's voice would sound like in a high-powered power pop setting, Williams' impassioned singing throughout Cotton Crown is the answer; the resemblance is unmistakable. In the soft pop of "The Narcissist" Williams broods, "Sick of the vibes in my room/ Sick of the flowers all in bloom/ Sick of my friends telling me all the things that I could do/ Sick of London/ Of seeing all this through," before a final turn toward the light, "Well exactly what am I supposed to do?/ But fall for you."

If one storming power pop anthem can make a record, if not a career, then Cotton Crown's top contender is "Freak Mode." A confident downpour of melodic guitar squall, this is jangle rock in its purest and most dazzling form. A rare amalgam of post punk attitude and melodic guitar rock, Cotton Crown is finely honed pop brilliance.

TRACKLIST

1. The Tubs - The Thing Is
2. The Tubs - Freak Mode
3. The Tubs - Illusion
4. The Tubs - Narcissist
5. The Tubs - Chain Reaction
6. The Tubs - Embarrassing
7. The Tubs - One More Day
8. The Tubs - Fair Enough
9. The Tubs - Strange