Gretel - Squish (2026)

I like the physicality of it more than the songwriting itself. The album has movement, noise, and enough roughness to feel alive, which already puts it above a lot of current indie rock trying to revive this sound. It doesn’t feel sterile.

But after a while, I realize most of the tracks operate at the same level. They arrive quickly, hit their mood immediately, and don’t really evolve beyond that. I get energy, but not enough transformation or payoff.

The hooks work better than the atmosphere. Whenever the band leans into directness, the album comes alive. But structurally, it rarely builds toward anything bigger than its initial impulse. The emotional tone stays narrow — angry, messy, restless — without deepening much over time.

I enjoy the immediacy of it, but I don’t leave the album feeling changed by it. It feels more like a strong aesthetic execution than a fully developed statement.

Pros

The live-band energy gives the album real momentum → it avoids the sleepy indie drift that kills a lot of modern alt rock
There’s a believable rawness to the performances → it feels committed rather than aestheticized
Some riffs and hooks genuinely stick → enough immediacy to keep the album engaging track-to-track

Cons

The album doesn’t escalate enough structurally → most songs peak early and stay in the same emotional lane
Too many familiar grunge-revival mechanics → the identity is solid, but not transformative enough to fully separate itself
The emotional intensity stays contained → frustration and energy are present, but rarely become overwhelming or cathartic

Genre: Indie Rock
Country: UK

Final Verdict: 64% (Good Album)
Yearly Ranking: 179th / 372

Highlight: Laurali


Made me think of:
PJ Harvey
Snail Mail
Soccer Mommy

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