“What a shame that this story came to such a tragedy in the end.“
Following their explosion onto the scene in 2016, SeeYouSpaceCowboy has continually moved from strength to strength, showcasing levels of diversity and innovation unmatched within their niche. The San Diego unit now return with their third studio album, Coup De Grâce, which only further cements this notion. Hot on the heels of tours with the likes of nothing,nowhere. and Static Dress, the former of which having a brief vocal feature on the album, it makes clear how SeeYouSpaceCowboy fit into the post-hardcore scene and look to claim their place at the forefront of it. All of this goes to say, Coup De Grâce is a heavily anticipated release, and the release more than lives up to that anticipation, and perhaps then some.
Aptly named using the French phrase for a mercy killing, Coup De Grâce showcases a level of artistry and technical skill which sets the band apart from their post-hardcore contemporaries in a fitting stark and swift fashion. Opening with “Allow Us to Set the Scene“, featuring the exceptional iRis.EXE, and continuing into “Subtle Whispers to Take Your Breath Away“, it is clear that SYSC have stepped their game once more. In fact, the opening moments do exactly as the title suggests, setting the scene for the album through a showcase of impressive artistry, mathy riffs, danceable choruses, and 1940s-cabraret aesthetics. All of this culminating in a story being told through the records lyrics and themes.
Each record has sequentially shown SeeYouSpaceCowboy to have something new up their sleeves to tantalise and surprise audiences upon initial listen, and with Coup De Grâce the key trick seems to be the way in which features are used. The aforementioned and wonderfully talented iRis.EXE showcases an immense vocal range and talent which she is afforded plenty of space on both the opener and later interlude, “Respite for a Tragic Tale”, to showcase. Both of these moments nail the atmosphere of the record and not only provide the listener with a wonderful sonic experience, but also aid the narritive, whilst controlling the pacing well. There is a boldness, too, that proves admirable to release two tracks so far removed from the traditional sound of SeeYouSpaceCowboy in service of such artistry.
The second feature of note, alongside impressive moments from Kim Dracula and nothing, nowhere., is the one from Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox. Removed from the typical metalcore environment in which she usually operates, LaPlante juxtaposes against frontwoman Connie Sgarbossa’s vocal stylings perfectly, showcasing a completely different style of harsh vocal against Sgarbossa’s cacophonous screams, but also showing versatility through lush, ethereal cleans.
Intertwined within these, and providing the backbone of the record, are a fantastic mix of heavy moments, alongside dance-inducing breaks and choruses packed with earworm hooks. Staple examples of this would be tracks such as “Subtle Whispers To Take Your Breath Away” and “Silhouettes In Motion“, with “Rhythm And Rapture” also proving notable in this regard. What is truly impressive about all of these tracks, though, is not what they achieve in isolation, but rather that they are all very clearly different approaches to songwriting that achieve the same end goal and work together cohesively. One consistent thread throughout these tracks, and the wider album as a whole, is the infectious riffing sprinkled throughout that you can’t help but hum along to, and drum grooves that feel impactful and memorable. All of this works to prove that SeeYouSpaceCowboy have an ability to blend together heavy, memorable, and downright fun moments, all the while making it seem effortless.
All this is wrapped up in a stylised package really brings Coup De Grâce into a world of it’s own. As mentioned, the narrative of the record sets itself in the 1940s, with it’s lyricism, and aesthetic displayed in the album’s music videos and beyond, set themselves within a cabaret show style setting. The attention to detail here does not fall on deaf ears, with the unique perspective this setting delivers allowing SeeYouSpaceCowboy to successfully create an immersive experience from the very moment the record begins.
There’s a recurring early ’00s indie influence present throughout the release which helps the band to separate from their previous material. “Rhythm And Rapture” is possibly the most evident example of this, with the guitar tone and riffs throughout the track being very reminiscent of early to mid-’00s British indie bands such as Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand, with the opening moments of “Lubricant Like Kerosene” seemingly taking influence, too. This neatly sits alongside the signature, abrasive sound that SeeYouSpaceCowboy have crafted over the years and further refined on Coup De Grâce in surprisingly fitting and graceful fashion, given the contrast.
There has been a notable improvement on the clean vocals, too, with vocalist Connie Sgarbossa citing Panic! At The Disco’s hit album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out as a key influence on the album – and it is clear. There is a sense of theatrics to the clean vocals that allows them to further lean into the narrative and themes present. The harsh vocals deliver what is expected from Sgarbossa, but the dynamics shift a tad when additional elements are thrown in, primarily through other members of the band contributing screams across the record. Citing Fear Before The March Of Flames’ Odd How People Shake as another key influence for the writing of the album, the band successfully integrates new styles of harsh vocals into their sound without losing what makes it so distinctly theirs.
All of this to say that Coup De Grâce is simply phenomenal. An album which not only breaks boundaries, but does so with effortless charm and grace, this is a must-listen for any budding screamo/post-hardcore fans out there, and should definitely not be overlooked. It is clear that SeeYouSpaceCowboy have put their all into this release, from it’s sonic palette to it’s broader aesthetic, brimming with intention and purpose, and it culminates in something truly special.
9/10
Coup De Grâce will release April 19th via Pure Noise Records and can be pre-ordered here.