More about: cowboyy

If you aren’t already aware, cowboyy are an up-and-coming South Coast four-piece currently turning heads with emphatic live shows and a series of fun, innovative singles blending such genres as math-rock, jazz, electronic and art pop. Notoriously hard to pin down since their formation in January 2022, it’s safe to say first EP Epic The Movie does its best to entertain you throughout its modest fifteen minute runtime, even if new tracks find it tough to reach the high bar set by their predecessors.

Firstly, it must be noted that this is a very technically proficient band and their skills are put on full display here. Most all instrumental aspects of Epic The Movie, from an excellently composed intro in 'Plastic' to crescendoing drums which blast out the back of 'Tennis', are enjoyable to listen to and cleverly woven together. These guys can seriously play, and they’re not afraid to show it in a series of impressive and musically dexterous tracks.

Top song 'Gmaps' leads you in with bouncy guitar riffs sure to cement themselves in your head long after the EP has finished. Sunny disposition drips over the track, enticing you to get lost in its hop-scotching layers. It remains a pleasant rumpus throughout, as vocalist and lead guitarist Stanley Powell makes commentary on young people’s reliance on mobile devices and winks at the slow death-ward march of humankind. All combined makes it a very fun little play. You can immediately understand why it launched the band into the spotlight upon release last September.

The somewhat punchier 'Tennis' shares similar highs. Experimentation aplenty, the track provides a timely shock to the system with a high-octane baseline, cymbals and inventive vocal improvisations. The track provides a nice balance to 'Gmaps', building towards a frenetic finale.

cowboyy take swipes at a few different social issues on Epic The Movie such as war, AI playlists and plastic-filled oceans, and while interesting, I don’t think they come away with too many scalps. Most notions feel rather one-note - surface level observations in lieu of much real insight or substance. Perhaps this is just symptomatic of a minimalist and abstract approach to songwriting, but for a new band willing to complain about “sh*tty music making zero statements'' on 'Algorithmic', it’s a shame they miss the opportunity to offer more. While the EP does feel somewhat representative of the futility felt by a nihilistic generation inheriting various unsolvable societal challenges, I fear these messages could be interpreted as a bit more David Brent than David Byrne (“look inside a fish, what have you found?” in 'Plastic' is a highlight).

On closing track, 'Nothing', we start to get a peak of something authentic. It was a nice contrast from the rest of the record, and lulls you back with some nice interplay. Reminiscent of bright, dusky riffs that course through the tracks of such bands as American Football, it’s nice to hear a more tranquil side on display. However, again, you wish they had a slightly better grasp on what it is they are trying to say. Powell’s attempt at a poignant monologue reflecting on loss, love and purpose ends up closer to the philosophical ramblings of a man you might meet in a smoking area at 3am.

"Showcasing high levels of talent across various genres, it provides a solid starting point..."

That aside, Epic The Movie is certainly a varied and accomplished debut EP. Showcasing high levels of talent across various genres, it provides a solid starting point for a band that has been playing together for less than 15 months and I look forward to seeing what they do next. The most important thing for now might be to try and pinpoint exactly what they want to be and say with their music. They have the talent. They have attitude and charisma, and are already exploring interesting spaces. If they can figure out the rest by the time a full album rolls around, then the potential is huge.

Get to know cowboyy in issue 7 - out now.

Grab your copy of the Gigwise print magazine here.

More about: cowboyy