Photo by Silken Weinberg

You can practically hear it piling on a million miles away. That would be sound of a few hundred commentariats from the r/hardcore sub shitting their brains out all over their keyboards at the drop of a new Scowl song and the fact that the alternative hardcore are now aligned with Phoebe Bridgers and Mitski as part of the Dead Oceans roster. They’re surely out with their torches and crunching on overplayed Taco Bell money jokes. But here’s the thing, boys (and yes, we know it’s the boys…): you can try to hate on a band for growing beyond your outdated scene structures all you want and get big jealous over them getting that bag while still keeping their ethos in check, because when they’re releasing songs like “Special”, they’re just proving to the world why they deserve to stand out in the pack. Again pairing the Santa Cruz quartet of vocalist Kat Moss, guitarists Malachi Greene and Mikey Bifolco, bassist Bailey Lupo, and drummer Cole Gilbert with never-misses-a-shot producer Will Yip (who helmed last year’s excellent extended play evolution, Psychic Dance Routine,) our first glimpse into Scowl’s future shimmers for a big stage anthem as much as it sharpens the razor edges of their teeth while throwing on some metallic armor. “You just wanna hear my screams / Just to feel alive,” Moss sings and shouts. To the haters, enjoy your momentary high while Scowl continues to ascend above the pit, spectacularly so.

Directed by: Silken Weinberg

Scowl’s “Special” single is available now on Dead Oceans.