New Releases Punk News Reviews

Album review: Pet Needs release ‘Kind Of Acoustic’

The band's first ever acoustic album is both raw and honest..

Alternative/indie band Pet Needs are delighted to have released an acoustic album full of smash hits and both fan (and band) favourites! ‘Kind Of Acoustic‘ contains 12 tracks in total, with 4 songs taken from each of their previous albums; ‘Fractured Party Music‘, ‘Primetime Entertainment‘ and ‘Intermittent Fast Living‘, all performed in an earthy, unplugged new guise.

Cherry picking their own personal favourite tracks of their career so far, the band decamped to the tiny Welsh village of Borth with producer Mike West, where they spent four frantic days reworking them and performing them live in the village’s deconsecrated church, Our Lady Studio.

Frontman Johnny Marriott says: “We wanted to create something warm, raw and organic. Something acoustic. Something that felt like the most true take as opposed to the most perfect. Presenting the songs in this way has given them space to breathe. We’ve never recorded like this before. Mike West was amazing at the helm, guiding us through playing by feeling and having a conversation with our instruments as opposed to just hammering the tunes out. We’ve chosen what we thought would be best presented as acoustic songs, and together have created something we’re really proud of.”

Releasing the new version of ‘The Burning Building’ as a little teaser to the album, Johnny explains: “’The Burning Building‘ is one of my favourites on ‘Intermittent Fast Living’. It’s a bonkers punk tune about a broken industry. We were invited to play ‘The Burning Building’ many times when we were younger. Pay to plays, exposure shows… The cash must be going somewhere, because it’s definitely not in the pockets of new bands just starting out! We set ourselves the challenge of making the acoustic version as raucous as possible and had loads of fun with it!”

Pet Needs band
Pet Needs

This album is certainly different, uplifting in parts and like Johnny says, very raw! The vocals and instruments come across loudly and passionately, with plenty of emotion. It’s clear that a lot of work went into it! Songs also include ‘Get On The Roof’, ‘Ibiza In Winter’, ‘Fear For The Whole Damn World’, and ‘Punk Isn’t Dead (It’s Just Up For Sale)’, for which the band has released a video:

Overall, I think the guys did a great job creating something alternative for their fans and potential new fans. If you are interested in finding out how they sound acoustically, then go check it out – and also their previous 3 albums for comparison!

Rounding off what’s been a stellar year for the band, the album was released on 24th January 2025 via Xtra Mile Recordings. ‘Kind Of Acoustic‘ is available on CD and vinyl HERE, and streaming / download HERE.

Pet Needs 'Kind of Acoustic' album
  1. Outline (acoustic)
  2. Scratch Card (acoustic)
  3. Fingernails (acoustic)
  4. Ibiza In Winter (acoustic)
  5. The Burning Building (acoustic)
  6. Fear for the Whole Damn World (acoustic)
  7. Lost Again (acoustic)
  8. The Age That You Were (acoustic)
  9. Self-Restraint (acoustic)
  10. Get On The Roof (acoustic)
  11. Punk Isn’t Dead (It’s Just Up For Sale) (acoustic)
  12. Overcompensating (acoustic)
Follow Pet Needs on Their Socials:
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Share This Story!