“I wanna freak out, don’t wanna let down”
Get ready to circle pit, bang your head, and sing along until your lungs give out to the new EP from Scowl, Psychic Dance Routine.
The Santa Cruz, CA based punk-hardcore outfit formed in 2019. After two EPs, the band released their debut full-length How Flowers Grow in 2021. Since their inception Scowl has looked to push past the typical boundaries of hardcore. Not just sonically, but with their floral based branding and touring with acts such as Limp Bizkit, The Bronx, Touché Amoré, Destroy Boys, and even landing slots at this year’s Coachella and Reading and Leeds Festivals.
Scowl is an exceptional blend of hardcore, punk and grunge—think Backtrack meets Hole. Vocalist Kat Moss is the big stand out of the EP with her range being the perfect pair to the band’s unique instrumental sound. Moss’ lyrics dive into the difficulties of turning your emotions into words to other people. She describes Psychic Dance Routine as, “The overarching theme of this EP lies heavily in the definition of the name—I wanted to lyrically express feelings of alienation and loneliness as well as questioning my own reality. I made an effort to speak more with metaphors as I wanted these topics to be relevant to other people.”
The title track “Psychic Dance Routine” and “Opening Night” lean fully into their alternative sound, feeling straight out of the 90s with a modern flair of hypnotic and catchy vocals. “Wired” and “Sold Out” act as the hardcore rippers of the EP, filled with two step beats and riffs that will make you want to run through a wall. “Shot Down” marries the two styles seamlessly into a two-minute frenzy that will have you stage diving and singing along simultaneously.
Much like Turnstile and Angel Du$t, Scowl is elevating the hardcore genre bringing it to new heights and more importantly, new ears. The EP is just over ten minutes long, an easy and undoubtedly fun as hell listen that will get stuck in your head and have you hitting that repeat button until it wears out.
Buy it, Stream it, or Skip it?: Buy it. Play it loud. Headbang to it in your bedroom, car and maybe even in public.
