Hardcore
Sex Cuts – Cop Bait EP
Gothenburg, Sweden’s band Sex Cuts released this tape at the tail end of 2020. It consists of seven tracks or something like fifteen minutes of abrasive, in-your-face, both emotionally and politically charged music & lyrics. Usually, I’d try to help myself to at least two or three genre labels about a new discovery, but Sex […]
Artist: Sex Cuts
Gothenburg, Sweden’s band Sex Cuts released this tape at the tail end of 2020. It consists of seven tracks or something like fifteen minutes of abrasive, in-your-face, both emotionally and politically charged music & lyrics.
Usually, I’d try to help myself to at least two or three genre labels about a new discovery, but Sex Cuts’ bio clearly states “Anti-genre Punks”. I won’t completely mansplain it to you, but it lies in the Art-Punk/Noise-Rock/Post-Punk spectrum. Well, why don’t you just hear for yourself?
What I love about Cop Bait is how they keep the same consistent anger and energy all throughout their songs. Interesting lyrics, and most notably song structures, their sound is clearly guitar-driven, and unlike many others—not obnoxiously drowned in distortion. Anxious vocals on the verge of breakup, keeping the tension front to back.
Opener “Designer Thoughts” sets the tone of the whole release with the surprisingly catchy “cancel culture” chorus. A couple of minutes into Cop Bait, I get a nice White Lung vibe from the pumping rhythm and jangly guitars fury.
Next up is a real banger, “1994:137” speaks up about immigration and feeling insecure. “The Politics of Sinking” makes it clear that Sex Cuts keep on delivering really steady, upfront compositions. Their EP is energetic and grabs you by the throat with a firm grip.
“Chaos Rites” is the longest composition and surprisingly draws similarities with early hardcore as well as a strong no-wave vibe.
By this point, I kinda start to get their thing and realize that Sex Cuts’ music has a really intriguing aesthetic—definitely a sound of their own, but reminiscent of too many other great bands I’ve stumbled across.
“52 Hertz” closes the whole EP in a nice way with another catchy chorus, that indeed reminds us these songs were recorded in 2020:
This isolation
This isolation
This isolation is dragging me downThis isolation
This isolation
This isolation is letting me drown
Overall, I’m really happy I found out about Sex Cuts and would try to keep up with them in the future, and hopefully hear some new tunes soon-ish. Highly recommended if you like early hardcore sounds mixed with a fine connoisseur in post-punk and no-wave.
There you have it, I cannot resist slapping genre labels around. Live with it!
Source: diyconspiracy.net
