Since their formation in 2016, San Diego’s SeeYouSpaceCowboy have always been a band pushing boundaries, be they sonic or aesthetic. Their third album, Coup de Grâce, is no exception and presents an audio overload that bounces around your cranium like a Pitbull on acid. Building on the good work of its predecessor, 2021’s The Romance Of Affliction, (reviewed here) their latest album finds them stepping up a level and should propel them towards the world’s biggest stages.
When approaching a new SeeYouSpaceCowboy album, you should always expect the unexpected and their latest should come emblazoned with that caveat. On hearing the sorrowful saxophone that introduces ‘Allow Us To Set The Scene’ you might think that you’ve entered the wrong room (like, the jazz lounge room), but it means that when the blast beat hits, it hits with the force of a ten ton hammer. From this point on the band are in full-on eclectic mode, hitting us up with some insane time changes and sonic shifts…and it’s still only the first song! They’ve packed more into this track than most bands pack into an entire career, and it sets discombobulating portent for the coming 37-minutes.
For all of their invention, one thing SeeYouSpaceCowboy never lose sight of is song structure, and the guitar chords that ring throughout ‘Subtle Whispers To Take Your Breath Away’ are totally addictive and will constantly prick up your ears. Its immersive nature means it’s all over far too soon, yet it’s the type of song that never gets old and will have you returning again and again. At once familiar but fresh, ‘Red Wine And Discontent’ brings it like it’s the noughties and is sure to please their legions of fans whilst attracting many new admirers. In fact, it’s hard not to like this Californian crew with music and vocals that slowly ingratiate themselves into your psyche.
St Louis based singer iRis.EXE provides vocals on two tracks (on the aforementioned opener, and also ‘Respite For A Tragic Tale’) and add a litheness on an album that’s often crushingly heavy. Yet, SeeYouSpaceCowboy are a band who are a bundle of opposites, and this album often feels like stepping into a hall of mirrors as sound fractures in every direction. This means that Coup de Grâce is the kind of album that’ll reward repeat spins as subtle (and not so) nuances gradually reveal themselves. With lyrical content that draws deep from personal experience, you might feel exhausted as we reach closer ‘Curtain Call’ as the band drag the listener to some dark places. But believe me, the dark side has never sounded so good.
- Coup de Grâce is released via Pure Noise Records on 19th April 2024.
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Track List:
1. Allow Us To Set The Scene
2. Subtle Whispers To Take Your Breath Away
3. And The Two Slipped Into Shadows
4. Red Wine And Discontent
5. Lubricant Like Kerosene (ft. Kim Dracula)
6. Respite For A Tragic Tale (ft. iRis.EXE)
7. Silhouettes In Motion
8. To The Dance Floor For Shelter (ft. Courtney Laplante)
9. Rhythm And Rapture (ft. nothing,nowhere.)
10. Sister With A Gun
11. Chewing The Scenery
12. Curtain Call
