San Diego post-hardcore five piece SeeYouSpaceCowboy are back once more, with their biggest and most ambitious effort to date. The band have established quite the cult following since their inception back in 2016, and can easily be identified as one of the alternative scene’s finest rising stars. Yet all that feels like it is about to change with the band’s third album, Coup de Grâce.
Set loosely in some fictional neo-noir city, filled with villains, lovers and rogues, Coup de Grâce is an expansive, energetic, and exciting listen from start to finish. The sounds of the album will appeal to anyone who is a fan of post-hardcore, with complex guitar melodies colliding with ferocious riffs, unconventional and alternative percussive rhythms, and multiple vocalists layered in an intricate and engaging manner.
However, the slick style of this record, pulling from blues and jazz sounds and imagery, elevates the whole affair into something that feels distinct and vibrant; it’s the sort of record that is made by a band ready to stand at the very forefront of their scene.
The neo-noir inspiration comes through most clearly on the two features from iRis.EXE, both acting as short intermissions in the chaotic madness. ‘Allow Us To Set The Scene’ is a bluesy opening that suddenly erupts into a sonic nuclear blast in the back half, whilst ‘Respite For A Tragic Tale’ retains the lowkey jazz energy throughout, with iRis.EXE’s smokey vocals set against softly glittering pianos. Both tracks not only act as great moments of pause to collect your breath, but go great lengths to flesh out the conceptual spirit of the album, without feeling out of place.
“The band are cautious to never let the concept consume the music here”
These sonic inspirations, however, are also cleverly woven into the rest of the album, despite its post-hardcore identity. ‘Silhouettes in Motion’ features a devilishly theatrical second verse, with its bouncing, jagged rhythms, almost as if from a cabaret show. ‘Lubricant Like Kerosene’ is a dizzying , danceable carnival of dirty emo goodness, with a filthy bass line laying the foundations beneath raucous riffs and delightfully theatrical vocals.
Despite this, the band are cautious to never let the concept consume the music here, and stack the album full of huge emo anthems that teleport you back to the 00’s heyday of the scene. ‘Subtle Whispers To Take Your Breath Away’ features aggressive post-hardcore flair threaded throughout, contrasting the catchier melodic sections brilliantly, whilst ‘To The Dance Floor For Shelter’ is a cut that will have you nostalgic for the very best of the MySpace scene. On top of that, Courtney LaPlante makes a particularly sparkling appearance, her silky smooth vocals perfectly matching the soundscape that the band have crafted.
Coup de Grâce is simply a great album from start to finish, and anyone who calls themselves a fan of post-hardcore, emo, or just having a good time, needs to listen to it. SeeYouSpaceCowboy have been bubbling away as cult favourites of the alternative scene for a while now, but this record could very well be what propels them to modern icons.