In hardcore circles, Scowl have been touted for big things ever since emerging out of the Bay Area. Their 2021 debut full-length, ‘How Flowers Grow, ‘ was a rampant 10-track onslaught of Californian hardcore in 15 rage-filled minutes. However, there were hints of a band willing to incorporate melodies. Their 2023 ‘Psychic Dance Routine’ EP saw them explore this further, leaning into alt-rock traits yet retaining their hardcore bite. Being a band with a rising profile comes with expectations, and as they release their second album, ‘Are We All Angels,’ they’re at an all-time high. However, the Santa Cruz quintet have knocked it out of the park.
For starters, those previous steps into melodic territory pay off in an abundance. Vocalist Kat Moss delivers hooks that live rent-free in your head for days. Opening track, ‘Special’s, has a scratchy start that breaks into a radiant chorus. ‘Fantasy’ floats against Bailey Lupo’s grungy bass and guitarist Malachi Greene and Michael Bifolco’s power chords. While there’s a playfulness to Moss’ delivery on ‘Let You Down,’ despite her self-deprecating words. Later on, ‘Suffer The Fool (How High Are You?)’ twists around her (slight) mononous delivery. However, it’s complemented by a solid alt-rock sound, yet Scowl‘s growing musical scope will surely be a gripe for longtime admirers.
Even though their hardcore roots are scattered throughout (see ‘Not Hell, Not Heaven’), there’s considerable evidence that Scowl‘s sound benefits from a blend of alt-rock, grunge, pop-punk and, of course, hardcore. Take ‘B.A.B.E.’ for example. Its elastic melody and momentary “oohs” are complemented by razor-sharp guitars and Kat’s brief barbed screams. ‘Tonight (I’m Afraid)’ highlights their stylistic freedom. Its rigid intro builds with intensity before moulding itself into euphoric alt-rock. It then speeds off as Cole Gilbert’s kinetic drumming takes over, with Moss’s duel vocals of cleans and screams proving to be a disorientating delight.
At the forefront of Scowl is vocalist and primary lyricist Kat Moss. Her introspective words of alienation, grief, and dealing with the burden of expectation are threaded through ‘Are We All Angels’. ‘Special’ instantly sets the tone through its lines of self-worth and detachment (“Bring me back to my body”). ‘B.A.B.E.’ allows Moss to express her frustration, exhausted by expectation, yet finds “comfort in the suffering”. The album’s title track (and closer) explodes with a hardcore rumble, yet it’s paired with a philosophical approach that questions, “Is this all there is?” It whirls away in a brief sea of feedback before Moss’ acapella voice ominously accepts her position in her existential crisis.
As a unit, Moss, Lupo, Greene, Bifolco, and Gilbert subtly maintain a grittiness amongst a thriving sea of textured sounds and addictive melodies, overseen by the ever-reliable Will Yip. It results in ‘Are We All Angels’ being a contender for the album of the year. Sure, it doesn’t gnar with a hardcore rawness, but it succeeds in allowing Scowl to grow almost organically – solidifying their place as hardcore’s next breakout band.
‘Are We All Angels’ by Scowl is released on April 4th, 2025, on Dead Oceans.
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