On this five-track effort, the Santa Cruz band embrace a more polished, widescreen sound without compromising their unpredictable spirit
A storm is brewing on the West Coast. Across California, a troupe of hardcore punk bands are bringing their vital, relentless and flat-out fun sound to a global audience like never before, garnering streams by the thousands and bolstering major festival lineups Was. “The California scene is explosive, and it’s like a color bomb – there’s something for everyone,” Skoll singer Kat Moss told NME last year about how her band and her peers’ Dren, Zulu and Military Gun, among others, are driven by a collective desire to push their scene into new territories. These acts are committed to making hardcore – a genre that may once have been closed towards outsiders – welcoming in new fans, trading new ideas and elevating their community into greater visibility.
With fans of Post Malone and Hayley Williams, as well as a recent support slot for Limp Bizkit to his name, Skoval is leading the charge of this movement. The tantalizingly raw ‘Psychic Dance Routine’ EP follows the band’s 2021 debut album ‘Where the Flowers Grow,’ and sees Skoval commit himself with total dedication to his big, subversive vision: Five In the tracks, they feature percussive elements, noise solos, and playful captures. Rhythmic changes – all of which parallel the color and magnitude of their energy. Both the title track and ‘Opening Night’ are testament to how Skoval is supercharging his tunes by keeping them clean and catchy, yet without compromising on the fervor at his heart.
Critically, the EP continues to confirm that Skoval is no longer just a great hardcore band, but a great rock band as well. Even with a two-minute song constraint, they can move quickly through different textures; ‘Shot Down’, for example, switches from a constant rush of harsh vocals to a slow-burning, distorted grunge rock squall à la Hole. They allow the energy to sip for dynamic effect – the track’s sudden change in speed feels like momentarily holding your breath after losing your shit in the pits.
There are moments here where the scowl suddenly disappears for a few blank, harsh seconds before it comes back into the melody with ferocity and force – it’s a recurring motif on ‘Sold Out’. Sonically, the tempo rarely falters throughout the EP, but the songs don’t always hit the mark. ‘Wired’ speaks of online overstimulation and deteriorating attention in broad strokes, suggesting that as a songwriter, Moss is still finding her feet when discussing current issues.
It would be an exaggeration to call ‘Psychic Dance Routine’ a reinvention of Scall’s sound, but there is definitely an evolution taking place. But the EP isn’t entirely about steps taken to sound unlike anything else in hardcore; The songs sparkle with the laughter, gusto and confidence of a band who know they’ve hit something special.
Details
Release date: April 7Record label: Flatspot Records
