EP REVIEW: Psychic Dance Routine – Scowl

In just a few short years, SCOWL stamped their identity large on not just the Californian hardcore scene but internationally. An incendiary set at Outbreak Festival in Manchester, a touring schedule that makes you tired just to think about it (including a support slot that saw them opening the legendary Madison Square Garden for LIMP BIZKIT) and a steadfast belief in the power of hardcore to unite people under its banner – and all this on less maybe 45 minutes of recorded material. In short, SCOWL have that rare ‘it’ factor, as well as the tunes to back it up. 

Of course, you can’t tour as much as the quartet have and not come away inspired by the bands you tour with, nor sound the same as before, and SCOWL are no exception. On their brand new EP Psychic Dance Routine they channel all that experience into a blistering ten minutes that takes the punky, snarling hardcore they’re already known for and injects it with 90s alt rock and grunge to not only expand their sonic but their songwriting horizons as well in a bold stroke that, while still recognisably SCOWL, is a giant sonic leap forward that proves there really is no ceiling for such a promising band so early in their career. 

The first single and opening track, Shot Down, doesn’t give up its secrets immediately though – at least by hardcore standards, as the chorus does come in after only 20 seconds. Instead, it opens with the kind of furious racket that they made their name with, but that chorus sees singer Kat Moss embrace melody far more, and it feels like a natural step from Seeds To Sow from their debut album (though there’s no saxophone here). The following title track is even further away from those roots as Moss affects that grungier melodic voice for its entirety and the guitar work is pure 90s alternative rock. 

Opening Night, the second single they released, again leans into those influences but crucially keeps its punk edge as the band tell of the whirlwind nature of touring; “It’s all the same, I forget where I am / Don’t feel bad, it’s just part of the plan” intones Moss in the chorus, before the song re-embraces chaos and ends in a flurry of screams and feedback. Finally, Sold Out does exactly the opposite of what its name implies, opening again with Malachi Greene raining hardcore fury from his six strings as drummer Cole Gilbert veers between scurrying drums and a frantic two-step groove. 

While it’s a far cry from where they began, it’s worth remembering that How Flowers Grow was written by a band very much growing into themselves; Moss had never fronted a band before SCOWL, and Greene had never played guitar, so naturally, that came across in their music. Now, they’ve been able to realise far more of their influences into their songs and not only do they pull it off, but it sounds like a band more comfortable in their skin than ever, refusing to rest on their laurels after such an explosive start to their career. Psychic Dance Routine is an EP written and honed by road experience that proves unequivocally that not only can SCOWL embrace aesthetics outside of the ‘typical’ hardcore look as they’d already done, but fold in a myriad of other genres without a hint of compromise or being anything other than totally true to themselves. 

Rating: 8/10

Psychic Dance Routine is set for release on April 7th via Flatspot Records.

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