With a heady mix of dense, distorted riffs and driving percussion alongside a billowing atmosphere of guitars and soaring vocals south-west quartet COSM draw comparisons to acts as varied as The Smiths, They Are Gutting A Body Of Water and Protomartyr. Having already graced stages alongside rising stars Blank Atlas and Mother Vulture as well as making an appearance at Burn It Down festival, COSM are ready to make their mark on the UK’s thriving alternative scene with their self-titled debut EP.
Solidifying their sound right out of the gate, COSM land with earth-shaking force on their EP’s intro track ‘So I Let Go’. Heralded by the sound of a lone, jangling guitar, COSM waste no time in building up layer upon layer of driving rhythms and echoing fuzz while leaving enough room for frontman Tom Hunter’s mesmerising vocals to pierce through the track like a tall ship cutting through waves of reverberating sound. ‘So I Let Go’ allows COSM to put their best foot forward, letting their solid songwriting shine through their immersive, expansive cacophony.
While cementing their signature sound COSM find plenty of nooks and crannies to explore without veering too far off the beaten track. From the wah fuelled shredding of ‘So I Let Go’ to the yacht rock infused elegance of ‘Say About Me’ or the gentle ambience of ‘Weightless’, COSM strike a vein with their mix of indie, psych-rock and shoegaze and mine it dry. While other bands may be tempted to try their hand at one style and move on, COSM show an admirable level of dedication by exploring their sound to its fullest.
Almost drifting off course into the territory occupied by post-rock acts like Mogwai, closing track ‘Reverberate’ stands out as one of the EP’s most expansive and ambitious experiences. Leaning heavily into COSM’s penchant for layered atmospheres, ‘Reverberate’ lives up to its name with bouncing textures backing Hunter’s soporific vocal melodies before exploding into a blast of wailing, David Gilmour inspired lead guitar lines from lead guitarist Emily Howarth. While hardly reinventing the wheel it’s great to hear COSM’s more lofty ideas come to life, blowing a breath of fresh air into their tried and tested blend of genres.
South-west newcomers COSM chisel an admirable first notch into the UK’s vibrant alternative scene with their intoxicating blend of fuzzy ambience and whirling melodies. While not spreading themselves too thin COSM explore their sound with laser focused accuracy and keen ear for varied psychedelic textures.
“COSM waste no time in building up layer upon layer of driving rhythms and echoing fuzz while leaving enough room for frontman Tom Hunter’s mesmerising vocals”
Photo Credit: Emily Howarth