On their debut single, "Mother/Father," Cuffed Up shake off their inhibitions with a blistering call-to-arms. "Safety is not a guarantee / when you’re afraid of everything," sing co-founders Sapphire Jewel and Ralph Torrefranca, a vigorous reminder to anyone who’s ever been caught in a vulnerable moment. Having met through likeminded interests—specifically the modern UK punk scene—Jewel and Torrefranca stumbled upon a bracing new single without knowing that it’d develop into a full-time passion project, especially considering that they’d just left their bands Gypsum and Dr. Doctor, respectively (both great in their own right). The quartet may look into modern rabble-rousers like Shame and IDLES for inspiration, but what’s best about "Mother/Father" is what they subliminally reference through their shifting dynamics and dexterous guitar work—there are shadings of Sonic Youth’s Sister/Daydream Nation-era period, from their dual vocal parts and steady rhythmic passages. With such a strong debut, consider their formation by happenstance the happiest of accidents.
Check out "Mother/Father," and the accompanying double side A single "Small Town Kid," below. – Juan Rodríguez