Deep In a Hole

Such Gold

I haven't caught up with Such Gold in a long time; not since 2014's The New Sidewalk. I really liked their approach to pop-punk and hardcore thanks to some flashy guitar work and a charismatic Ben Kotin on vocals.. Recently, I stumbled upon a live session for Ceiling Stare, a song from their 2017 EP Deep In a Hole, and it struck a chord with me. The catchy guitar work is still there, the attention to tiny details which make for an exciting song from start to finish are there as well, but what what I noticed was that Ben Kotin's vocals had become a little more dynamic in my opinion. Singing much more cleanly and using that distortion and grit to accent key points. The melodies, the harmonies, I was just really impressed and knew I wanted to hear the rest of this EP.

Such Gold has shifted stylistically, further standing out in the world of pop-punk and melodic hardcore. Some of the material here I would say doesn't even really fall into that category. The first two tracks, Deep In a Hole and Stained Glass Brain, have more of a late 80s/early 90s weirdo alternative rock vibe reminiscent of bands like The Pixies. The latter is a thrilling, speedy, math rock tinged tune where bassist Jon Markson actually takes the lead on the vocal front. He has an absolutely perfect tone for a song of this character. As soon as the vocals and the guitar riff come in, it is immediately catchy.

The only track I wasn't super hot on was Ransom, which seemed to be more of a return to the sound I was familiar with on their previous albums. After hearing the other tracks on this EP, however, I must say I prefer the new direction the band is heading in on the other tracks. I think the band had hit on something a little more unique and that they did a great job subtly incorporating hardcore elements on the other tracks in a way that seemed thoughtful and fresh. If Deep In a Hole is an indication of where the band is going with their sound, then I am all aboard the Such Gold train. Hearing Ben Kotin not scream so much is really refreshing and also incorporating Markson's vocals a little more creates an EP that is more dynamic vocally than any other project I've heard from them so far. The harmony in the vocals and guitars are impeccable, and overall the production is just fantastic. I'm really glad serendipity brought them back to my ears and I'm anticipating whatever the band is working on next.