Krooked Tongue - “Velociraptor”

Bristol-based alternative rock three-piece, Krooked Tongue, first came onto the scene in 2019, consistently awing audiences with a line of musical successes, from “Girls with Knives” to “Vampyre.” These songs quickly established the band’s signature sound within the alternative and indie rock scene.

Fans can now rejoice with the band’s latest track “Velociraptor,” the second single taken from their upcoming sophomore EP. After the critically acclaimed debut EP, No Vacancy Hotel, amassed over 150,000 streams, music lovers should expect no less from “Velociraptor.”

With its catchy mid-2000s indie groove, “Velociraptor” is a song about finding your inner animal and setting it free. Oli Rainsford’s smooth vocals, paired with a dynamic bass line, ease listeners into the song as he croons about the changing daytime. As the punchy beat moves forward, anticipation builds through the bridge before the sudden change of tempo ushers listeners into the chorus.

The chorus contrasts perfectly with everything heard prior, and the band maintains the song’s wild essence by maximizing an arsenal of effects. “Velociraptor” continues to draw inspiration from other highly acclaimed musicians while putting their own unique spin on the genre.

As the song progresses, Rainsford continues to encourage listeners to “shed your skin,” “be what you’d be,” and “see what you’ve seen” — an ode to fans to freely express themselves amidst a dynamic and changing world. The members of Krooked Tongue explain that they love to tell stories through catchy and thought-provoking lyrics. Their metaphorical usage of the small dromaeosaurid dinosaur, the velociraptor, is used to depict the wild animal that lives inside every one of us, coming out when the “sun goes down and the moon begins to rise.”

To end the song, a brief but effective unaccompanied vocal  follows the high-powered drop to the chorus. Listeners are sure to keep dancing and jumping around from start to finish with this one, as many audience members have done at Krooked Tongue’s recent live shows.

-Aliyah Kristine Clarke is a freelance writer who is passionate about uncovering artists with plenty of potential. When she’s not on her laptop, you can find her at the nearest gig having a blast.