A little bit of the youthful melodicism of the Charlotte, NC emo trio Jail Socks’s has apparently drained out of them between their It’s Not Foreverback in 2019 and the release of their current record for Counter Intuitive, a debut LP they are calling Coming Down. This is hardly a detriment to the group though. The loose and nervous jitter common to many basements show crashing, fresh-faced upstarts, are here replaced by more solid rock fundamentals. Jimmy Eats World made this jump at one point as well, and the band (and their fans) were better off for it.
Coming Down is still a distinctly fifth wave band though. For instance, there is the tendency towards slamming hardcore grooves and stabby riff techniques reminiscent of post-hardcore bands coming out of their Hydra Head phase. These elements are mixed with swoony pop-punk melodies that go from making eyes across the room to sweeping you off your feet in less time than it would take to reapply your lipstick and pucker up. Then there is the imprint of late ’90s alternative rock song structures, that emphasize mastery of flow and conscious execution, and which meld together seamlessly with more recognizable punk influences to give these songs both edge and accessibility. A lot of the tracks have the quasi-mathy twinkle as well, which will hit your brain like a sugar rush.
The subject matter might be heavy and personal, but that won’t stop you from stomping around your bedroom and shouting along to the rolling shimmer and rushing embrace of “Point Pleasent” or the head-strong pitcher and parry of “Spinning.” Get a little wound up with Coming Down today.
Buy and Stream Coming Down below via Bandcamp:
Get Coming Down from Counter Intuitive here.
