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Koyo

Would You Miss It?

Written by: PP on 16/12/2023 22:59:52

Koyo is one of the newer entrants in the punk scene, albeit with a roster featuring members from SeeYouSpaceCowboy and Adrenaline, among others. Hailing from Long Island, they've released a slew of well-received EPs before their debut album "Would You Miss It?", an explosive rager of melodic hardcore punk, emo, and the occasional pop punk element as well. It's a high-energy onslaught that's characterized by a raspy, intense vocal performance that aggressively erupts out of the microphone drawing eerie parallels to The Story So Far's Parker Cannon, only in a rawer and harsher style.

Stylistically, the band's brand of emotionally-charged punk rock lies somewhere between Living With Lions circa-"Holy Shit" and Make Do And Mend. It's gravelly but with plenty of inspiration sourced from emo and post-hardcore in the process. "You're On The List (Minus One)", for instance, features clean vocals that should remind you of Set Your Goals. At the same time, "Flatline Afternoon" (feat. Anthony Didio) takes a darker turn into volatile post-hardcore screaming midway through the song.

The majority of the record does, however, follow an almost exact pattern to opener "51st State". It's energetic, melodic, and borderline anthemic as the band tears through their coarsely screamed and shouted material at breakneck speed, only slowing down on a couple of occasions like "What's Left To Say" (which features a cameo by Vinnie Caruana of The Movielife/I Am The Avalanche Fame). The mid-tempo "Message Like A Bomb" also features Daryl Palumbo (Glassjaw), but his part is less noticeable, to be honest.

This does present a problem, which is that once you reach the halfway point of the record, it starts feeling samey throughout. Lots of melodic choruses and plenty of in-your-face vibes, but not enough variety, which causes the songs to blend together towards the end. I hate to say it, but both LWL and Make Do And Mend did this sound better. Here, Koyo produces a decent record but not one that's necessarily going to be remembered years down the line.

Download: You're On The List (Minus One), 51st State, Life's A Pill, I Might Not
For the fans of: Living With Lions, Make Do And Mend, Set Your Goals, I Am The Avalanche
Listen: Facebook

Release date 29.09.2023
Pure Noise Records