Review Summary: optimism of the will
Would You Miss It? is an album that took nearly three years to sink its teeth into me, but now I'm firmly in its grip, spinning it upwards of eight times a day just to make it to the weekend with a shred of optimism left in my soul, and it works; it hits the spot; it makes me feel like life might just be worth sticking around for. As I approach my mid-thirties and my music taste continues to funnel itself towards the valley of melodic hooks and sick-ass palm mutes, life-affirming bands like Koyo and Stand Still just start hitting harder and more often. Long Island must have lithium in the water. But
Would You Miss It? doesn't simply check the right genre boxes for me; it fuses them together in such a synergistic way that no amount of sappiness ever feels like it weighs down the energy packed behind it, and no amount of power chord chugging ever overwhelms the emotional catharsis of Joey Chiaramont's rugged voice or the melodic leads that propel him forward. Koyo is leaning mass-forward at all times, but the way the group manages to maintain such momentum while making sure each song still feels cared for and structurally distinct is where the band truly achieves its mark of quality. Just check the trio run of "I Might Not" into "Anthem" for a good taste of Koyo's versatility and unrelenting catchiness.
Would You Miss It? might have taken years for me to fully embrace, but it has met me at a time in life where I can truly appreciate its sentiment and the morale boost it provides, and as Chiaramont says in the seventh track, "Sayonara Motel":
Look how privileged I've been — to contend. Just to contend!! That's it! If the mere opportunity to struggle is a privilege, then I'm filthy rich.
