Review Summary: Living up to the name.
Such Gold is a band more people should know about.
I could really dig into detail about why, but such a venture feels more suited to a review of a full-length, or some sort of piece about the band that lies on a grander scale than this. There’s more than enough to say about this 5-song EP, and it will perhaps implicitly convince one of my initial assertion.
Deep in a Hole is, to put it simply, is a killer punk EP. Yet, one of the best things Such Gold has going for them right now is their ability to innovate. This EP contains a sound that expands naturally from the roots of its genre, satisfying the ears of veteran punk listeners while progressing in ways that feel natural in their existence, but were certainly elusive in their composition.
By this, I mean that Such Gold clearly worked hard to come up with these five songs. It’s clear that every member thought about every rhythm, every melody, and how these pieces combined with one another. Take the second part of the chorus of the title track, where the sound opens up and uses space as a way hit harder than the more flowing, connected first part of the chorus. While the title track is certainly the most traditional song on the EP, it has many memorable moments such as the aforementioned simply because of the care the band puts into the composition of their songs, and the cohesion they thereby find.
Then things get weird. The amazing thing about Such Gold is their ability to retain this cohesion while including more unusual, technical, and progressive elements. The next four songs clearly demonstrate this quality, but “Stained Glass Brain” is likely the clearest evidence for it: thought-provoking lyrics, a greater emphasis on dual vocals, and a verse drum beat that any punk drummer would dream of coming up with (hats off to Matt Covey on this track, his work is just incredible). The song moves through its parts like a perfectly constructed and impressively complicated roller coaster, and there’s nothing quite like the feeling when bassist Jon Markson’s relatively soft clean vocals that begin the song are cut off by lead singer/guitarist Ben Kotin’s recognizable roar as Matt Covey switches back to the song’s signature beat after a brief departure from it, but throws it on the crash this time for added power; this sound tornado defines Such Gold’s best moments: the biggest drop on the ride.
There are many more high points in the remaining three tracks, whether it’s the soaring 6/8 sound of ”Ceiling Stare”, the pounding outro that closes out “Ransom”, or the serious riffage in the “Worlds Collapse” chorus. Rest assured, there’s not a filler minute on this EP, let alone a forgettable track.
Rejecting tired power chords, generic vocal style, and standard rhythms, maybe the greatest thing about
Deep in a Hole is that it retains the band’s identity by remaining punk as hell despite the innovation. Such Gold should be commended for their work here - a natural and worthy follow-up to the criminally overlooked
The New Sidewalk, this release sets the band up for a grand slam third album.
