It’s not often we get a promo and the RIYL or FFO “Read If You Like” and “For Fans Of”) really nails it but in the case of Sydney’s Zeahorse, the comparisons to Helmet, Quicksand, and Fugazi are pretty spot on especially after listening through their latest, Let’s Not (And Say We Did).
“Designer Smile channels those artists but is also something else entirely. Driving and heavy yet not Metal at all, Zeahorse lurk in this loud Post-Punk world where Killing Joke never stopped delivering magical anthems like “The Wait” or “Love Like Blood”. “Panic State” taps into that aesthetic as well as does “Guilty” which, for us, really represents the Zeahorse sound: A merging of Shellac’s lo-fi mastery and Baddie’s brash bombast.
“The Ladder” which follows is a full on hypnotic drone of fuzzy bass rumbles, crackin’ drum attacks, wailin’ guitars, and an equally mesmerizing vocal cadence that’s biting and blustery. “Cut The Slack”, on the other hand, lays hard into a giant groove as it slinks ints way into yer earholes with a delicious vocal whine that snarls and swirls around listeners’ heads like the most agreeable earworm.
Grooves are large and in charge again during “20 Nothing” which thrives from this unholy low end, shrieking guitar lines and huge choruses. “One Of Everything” is punchy and precarious as this penultimate ditty paves the way to “Don’t Laugh” which plays out like a sonic seesaw, bouncing up and down and delivering one final, rollicking good time.
Let’s Not (And Say We Did) lands on January 29th through Copper Feast Records. Pre-orders are live now and can be checked out by heading here. For more on Zeahorse, follow them on the socials by heading here, here, or here.