Review Summary: technicolor is ergonomic and breathtaking in equal parts, and sees the band shrug off any sign of a sophomore slump.
technicolor is a testament to undeterred determination - an unwavering commitment from the three piece math rock outfit to stay true to their efflorescent sound and effervescent good nature. The 10 track album was released into a world of ugly grey sociopolitical calamity and general uncertainty, and this album serves as a soothing balm to the cold, antiseptic sting of the realities of our current world.
Yvette Young could always play gorgeous, technical guitar riffs better than the rest of us (from the gauze like quality of her early YouTube uploads to her hi-def play through of Shibuya in a most zen garden), but her band steps onto the dance floor perfectly in sync, creating grooves that brandish smiles across your face throughout the duration of the listen - the perfect dance partners for the complex choreography of covet.
The songwriting on technicolor is more melodic than mathematical, and when you hear the album’s first vocals on personal favorite ‘parachute’, sung like a beautiful bird call in the early hours of morning, it just fits so well. covet have worked hard to create art that exists and is appreciated for its beauty, not because of the clean surgical precision of the brush strokes. technicolor is ergonomic and breathtaking in equal parts, and ‘parachute’ represents both the bands most confident display of calculated songwriting, and the cohesiveness that flows through the album as a whole - something that was hinted at, but not realized in 2018’s effloresce.
The different timbres and sonic meanderings of Yvette’s guitar parts are worth the price of admission alone, especially if you are familiar with the following names - Earthquaker Devices, Meris, Zvex…if these names ring a bell, 1) you’re a huge guitar nerd and 2) you’ll appreciate the tasteful use of effects (as an aside, even her dirt sound on her ‘nero’ is so crisp yet bass driven - any ideas what she’s using?) Truly, her signal chain spices up each track, from the sea sick chorus sounds lilting across a bobbing sea, to the ballet of two handed tapping across the fretboard, to a nasty slathering of fuzz - there’s something here for guitar geeks on every track.
Album highlights include the aforementioned ‘parachute,’ pulsating ‘atreyu,’ and 'nero’ with it’s stampeding rhythm section barreling into a glassy, hypnotic showing from their guitar hero, before shattering into beautiful, overdriven chaos. Album closer, aptly (and obviously) titled ‘farewell’ brings Yvette’s voice back into the fold, highlighting the courage and confidence of covet as they shrug off any signs of a sophomore slump with a genuine smile, earnest lyrics, and unshakeable feeling that covet are the real deal.
