“A new comfort in a room I swore to leave behind.”
There’s not much to preface with when it comes to the UKHC scene. Steadfast, resilient, and full of straight-edge switch blades. Those who have an established foothold in this community abstain from the conventional vices of nicotine and alcohol, deferring their compulsions to something much healthier: spin kick hardcore. Rising outfit, So Far So Good, one of London’s best kept secrets, continue to pound the beatdown hammer on their sophomore, self-titled effort. The only question is whether anything will be left of listeners by the time this one-two combo forty-yard sprint crosses the finish line.
The sheer amount of distortion and low-tuned haymakers on So Far So Good is enough to render most punch-drunk. Then again, that’s what adherents of hardcore crave. Short, sweet, and with the tectonic force of an earthquake. “Starved 4 Connection” and “Plastic” embody the drive-by sonic shooting approach that not just UKHC, but the scene as a whole, has come to be renowned for. Pounding drums, seething strings, and bass drops combine for a long walk down a short bed of scorching coals. Above all, it’s not just unfettered chaos that comprises these tracks, but swift attention to technical detail that cements the instrumental weight of So Far So Good.
Though So Far So Good keep their hands on the turret trigger for much of this EP, they also know when to effectively recoil. The softer, ambient sections of “Cheap Roses”, “Hangnail”, and “Salt Water” are poignant alternations in So Far So Good’s reverberative conquest. When they’re not putting both barrels to the side of your head and blowing your top off, So Far So Good utilize the more melodic junctures to sew it back on whilst replenishing ammo. Hardcore is often relentless and audibly taxing, so a slight deviation in the case of So Far So Good is a surprisingly functional experiment that could do well to make its way into other artists’ methodology.
Vocals need to be as much an instrument as conventional ones in hardcore, and Dan Fisher screams exquisitely on So Far So Good to add a drubbing breadth to an already menacing outing. With all of So Far So Good in clear lockstep with one another, the mid-tempo molten syrup drip of this EP doesn’t ask for permission or beg for forgiveness. Like the true anarchists they are, So Far So Good sustain full momentum front to back, even when the gear shifts from fifth to third.
Ultimately, some may find the variation a bit divisive on So Far So Good, but that’s not really here nor there unless you’re truly pedantic. It’s tough to imagine much of anyone dismissing the sound due to some variation, unless unilateral hardcore is what they were expecting. Nuance can be very impactful if it’s done tastefully, and So Far So Good execute that in spades here. Any and all complainers will probably just get their shit rocked in a two-step pit, regardless. What So Far So Good are doing is both familiar and overwhelmingly refreshing for the UKHC community.
Transiently pummeling and sympathetic to traditional hardcore staples with a sprinkle of derivative gun powder, So Far So Good is the exemplar sophomore project from a band that is showing no fear in taking on the world. Though they may still have a lot to prove, So Far So Good are doing so in a manner that would have you think they’ve been doing this for a long time. Small but mightier than most, UKHC’s next sleeping giant may have been found. Whatever follows next could spell bedlam for the entire scene should So Far So Good keep their pedal to the floor.
8/10
So Far So Good releases on November 14 via Best Life Records & Braeburn Records and will be available on all streaming platforms.