Recently, Joyzine editor Paul Maps had a chat with the South London duo Scrounge, who gave a track-by-track guide to their latest album Almost Like You Could. The band have been Joyzine favourites since 2019, and Paul described the new album as “a wonderful record, and one that will make that ever-growing end-of-year list all the more difficult to curate.”
As a Joyzine writer who’s a little late to the Scrounge party (a recurring theme for me — I always seem to discover bands around album number two), I went into Almost Like You Could with fresh ears and no preconceived ideas. I wasn’t familiar with their earlier work — something I’m currently rectifying, thanks to a deep dive on Spotify — so this review is from the perspective of a brand-new listener.
My personal favourites from the album are ‘Rat’, ‘Higher’, and ‘Waste’. Each track brings its own flavour, but all of them hit hard in that gritty, post-punk way that feels both raw and intentional.
‘Rat’ is a righteously angry song that instantly had my heart. It’s a defiant, cathartic anthem pushing back against xenophobia and the far right — the kind of track that makes you want to shout along and throw your fist in the air. It says everything I feel, but with better guitar lines.
‘Higher’ is frantic and anxious in the best way, capturing the pressure cooker of tension that builds up through those seemingly innocent, but actually loaded, questions society loves to throw at women in their 30s: “Are you happy alone?” As if your value is defined by your relationship status, rather than who you are. It’s sharp, fast, and hits home.
‘Waste’ has one of the catchiest choruses on the album, but behind its energetic delivery is a song about the creeping weight of depression — those moments right before the dip, when everything feels like it’s slipping. It’s an honest and relatable portrayal of mental health, disguised in a track that makes you want to dance out the feelings.
Across the album, Scrounge blend abrasive noise with melody, pairing emotional depth with punchy, pointed lyrics. The sound is both chaotic and controlled — like something teetering on the edge of collapse, but holding steady through sheer intent. For a two-piece, they create an enormous, urgent wall of sound that feels both intensely personal and widely political.
Whether you’ve been with them since the beginning or are just now discovering them like I am, Almost Like You Could is an album worth your attention. Scrounge have something to say — and they say it loudly, fiercely, and with a whole lot of heart.
Almost Like You Could is out now and you can get it here
Scrounge: Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp / Linktree
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva, Photo Credit: Joseph Elliot
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