Intriguing, entrancing and dynamic

On their new EP, Psychic Dance Routine, Santa Cruz-based hardcore punk outfit Scowl creates a storybook album that plays to their strengths but keeps building on their previous sound simultaneously. The album is the group’s most vocally experimental work, and the risk paid off. 

The group’s greatest strength is their ability to create songs that perfectly endcap each other. “Shot Down” is the perfect opener for the group, coming in with guitars wailing, bass rattling and drums pounding. The energy keeps building as lead vocalist Kat Moss roars their way in. Moss’s vocal ability shines through on the opening track as she switches back and forth from a more screamo style to a more melodic tone.

“Sold Out” brings a similar sound to the album’s opener, but instead of vocal switches, Moss keeps her vocals raw, and the rest of the band changes their style to help match their emotions. Over and over, Moss calls not to be shut out with punchy notes, bringing real fire to the words. Drummer Cole Gilbert stands out on this track as his steadily rapid stickwork guides the guitar chord progression. 

The ticking clock-like intro of “Wired” sounds simple, but it feels like time is marching to something more sinister. A guitar riff helps accompany the clock, and then the track finally breaks right open, and Scowl comes through full force. Moss’s lyrics are filled with resentment against the screen-filled modern life and how there seems to be no escape from humans’ chosen path.

While the first three tracks mentioned are a great follow-up sequence to their 2021 album How Flowers Grow, the other two tracks on the EP send the group off differently. The title track “Psychic Dance Routine” and “Opening Night” have a more post-punk sound similar to British rock group Wet Leg rather than their traditional hardcore sound. And it works perfectly.

“Psychic Dance Routine” starts with a flanger-infused riff, later joined by Gilbert’s leading drumming and Moss’s much softer and casual singing tone that resembles Wolf Alice’s Ellie Roswell.

“Opening Night” is the standout track on the EP from its whammy bar-filled opening seconds alone. Its lyricism makes it an amazing track, and the lyrics detail the feeling of losing yourself. Moss makes a great stylistic choice at the end by reverting the song’s final lines in their signature screamo voice: “Do you relate?/ Do you feel fake?/ Do you relate?/ Do you feel fake?”

With great success, Scowl bounces easily between a hardcore punk sound and a lighter post-punk flair. Kat Moss expanded her range with high marks, opening the door to a newer sound and keeping fans entranced until the very end.