To say that Bitch Falcon's highly-anticipated debut full-length is a masterpiece would, in my opinion, be an understatement. Staring at Clocks is unabated commentary on the world through the band's eyes - they've opened up and are allowing us to see the chaos and catharsis the way that they do. The album captures humanity at its deepest and most significant.
Bitch Falcon are Lizzie Fitzpatrick, the band's vocals and guitars, alongside Barry O'Sullivan on bass and Nigel Kenny on drums. They formed in 2014 and have been putting out music since 2015 - their debut, self-titled EP came out in 2018 - and the band have only been gaining momentum since. Although they've been popular in Ireland for some time, 2020 was meant to be the year that they broke through to the rest of the world.
"I'm Ready Now" is the perfect title for the opening track of a debut, especially one as sure and masterful as Staring at Clocks. Its anthemic guitar blends seamlessly with Fitzpatrick's vocals. "Turned to Gold" takes the chaos down a notch and feels a slice more haunting than its predecessors. Eerie is something Bitch Falcon does very well.
The eponymous "Staring at Clocks" is dazzlingly and deceptively bright, turning about three-quarters of the way through into something almost heavier than the rest of the album entirely. "Damp Breath" was the track that got me into Bitch Falcon last winter, so I'm absolutely a little partial to it. It feels a touch out of place among the rest of the non-single tracks, but I love the way it stands out. It's the halfway mark.
"Martyr" is one of my favorite tracks on the album - it sees each member of the band at their absolute best, showcasing their talents at 100%.
On the record, Lizzie Fitzpatrick told Kerrang!, “When I was writing the record I was going through a bit of a dark point in my life. There’s a lot of personal stuff in there – a bit of anxiety – and the songs are like releases of numbness, from the depths of that darkness. It’s quite existential, trying to capture and express that feeling of, ‘What if nothing makes sense?’...I’m drawing off my personal experiences, but I don’t want to shut people out and make it all about me. These are feelings that everyone goes through to varying degrees, so I want people to relate to them.”
The entire record is a trip. It's mesmerizing, chaotic, and, most of all, fucking fantastic. Bitch Falcon have without a doubt released one of the most memorable albums of the year. The irony of the fact that they waited so long to release this album only to not be able to take it out on tour is not lost on me, but this only gives us heaps of time to sit with the album, to really take it in.
Bitch Falcon can be found and kept up with on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. You can support the artist directly by purchasing a physical copy of the album on their Bandcamp, or stream Staring at Clocks, as well as the rest of their discography, wherever you listen to music. Check out the tracks we highlighted - alongside some of the other new releases last week - on our New Arrivals playlist!
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