Soup Moat has quietly become one of the best bands in Milwaukee. That unanticipated ascent is pretty much the only thing the band has done quietly. After years of winning over unsuspecting audiences with lively performances and by releasing memorable splits and 7-inches, the purveyors of—in their own words—”heavy, silly sludge” truly hit their stride with 2018’s standout full-length, Harvester Of Likes. More than two years removed from putting out the album we called “seedy” and “terrific,” Soup Moat is back with a bigger, sludgier, and somehow even better record.
Be Brave, Run Away picks up right where Harvester left off, as “Crow” launches the 10-song effort into motion with squealing guitars, booming percussion, and Soup Moat’s trademark group vocal approach. The trend continues, as “Water Under The Fridge” and “Murder Channel” keep the aural accelerator pressed to the floor before the menacing and murky “Chicklet” lands like a Midwestern riff on METZ.
While the exceptional drum work, intricate guitars, chunky and driving bass lines, and the grimy gang vocals the band employed on previous releases are still very much present on Be Brave, Run Away, by the time raucous album-ender “High Five A Hawk” concludes its 6:31 salvo of expert instrumentation and focused frenzy, Soup Moat doesn’t seem so silly anymore. Sure, there are still song names like “Dumb Dreams” and “Whale Milk,” but the intention, effort, and careful craftsmanship the band put into the altogether outstanding album is undeniable.
Be Brave, Run Away will be released on Friday, October 23. The album is limited to 100 copies on black vinyl. Each record comes with an insert poster, download card, and a CD-R of instrumental pre-production demos. Before Soup Moat releases Be Brave, Run Away this Friday, you can listen to it in its entirety below.