From the very get go, the California quintet seemed to be a band that bristled with vivid promise. Their local Santa Cruz scene heralded their arrival, exclaiming them to be the promised ones to alleviate hardcore from its negative associations. Lofty proclamations indeed, but lo and behold, such promise manifested itself with their 2021 debut album How Flowers Grow, a record that was bound by the ironclad ideology of hardcore, yet utterly divorced from the toxicity, masculinity and callousness sometimes associated with the genre. Truly, it was a record that pushed the boundaries of the modern hardcore sound, with the album marrying together both catchiness and punishment in a way that was inclusive, welcoming and vibrant. Now, Scowl are once again pushing the boundaries with their latest EP, a body of work that sounds like The Breeders doing a flip off the merch table straight into Drain’s soon to be bloodied face.
Across the five tracks and 10 minutes that form the EP, Scowl display more dynamism and inspiration than most hardcore bands will do in their entire careers. In fact, Scowl achieve this feat in less than two minutes with the opener alone, ‘Shot Down’. Opening with the kind of classic aggression one would associate with the genre, the track violently pendulums between urbanite hardcore and the kind of alt-rock comparable with the likes of the aforementioned Breeders and even current Aussie sensations Amyl And The Sniffers. It’s a contrast that hosts no middle ground, and the change is one of sudden violence, yet it works. As the proceeding title track bares further credence to, Scowl’s sound on this record is one of pure playfulness, rhythm and dynamism. In fact, with the title track baring thoughts of grunge classics à la Hole and L7, to call this a hardcore track would be utterly fallacious if it didn’t bare such zeal and passion.
Such is the beauty and brilliance of Physic Dance Routine; it’s a hardcore record in heart but not in ideology or sound. While ‘Wired’ may see the band lunge headfirst back into the urbanite bloodlust of hardcore with its noise, distortion and immediate bass-aired punk, it’s entirely removed from the hulking masculinity that one would call the primary convention of the genre in the modern day. The snappy two-step worthy ‘Sold Out’ and the grunge punk sound of ‘Opening Night’ also further highlight this, with these closing songs standing as the EP’s most aggressive and joyous offerings simultaneously. Truthfully, the juxtaposition of these songs is brilliant. It highlights Scowl’s scope and the ceaseless momentum this record hosts, ensuring one is never swayed or apathetic of the band’s next move.
In all, this EP isn’t just the continued evolution of Scowl’s sound, it’s the progression of a genre as a whole. By pushing the sound of hardcore into new musical pastures whilst retaining the intensity and spirit of the genre, Psychic Dance Routine is a record that makes one excited for the Scowl’s next step as well as the scene’s next move as a whole. A crucial listen.