LP released: Jul 03, 2020
Fans of Wolf Alice, Smashing Pumpkins and Tame Impala should get onto this one now. Koyo Return With sophomore album æYou Said ItÆ. ôWe were attracted to the ambiguity of the phrase,ö explains frontman Huw Edwards. ôOriginally it was inspired by the notion that once something has been said between two people, once certain boundaries have been crossed, it can sometimes be impossible to move on. You can try to backtrack, but trust is already undermined and relationships damaged. Or maybe a truth was spoken and æYou Said ItÆ represents a kind of catchphrase - a final coming-to-terms with the fact that a relationship has become un-saveable.ö Relationship breakdown and loss are themes that thread their way through this album, as is an overall sense of coming-of-age. From the straight-up no nonsense statement of intent of album opener æSame Mistake TwiceÆ, to the triumphant driving rock of æSurroundedÆ - which deals with the theme of needing to get away after a breakup - to the claustrophobic æOut of ControlÆ. According to the band, the various faces in the album artwork, ôrepresent the many facets of someoneÆs personality; the underlying layers beneath the visible surface that can become disorientating and untrustworthy,ö as explored on æCirclesÆ and æOstracisedÆ. ôLike walking through a hall of mirrors and being unable to distinguish between truth and illusion.ö Following the instrumental ôpalette cleanserö æMurmurÆ, æConfusedÆ returns to the bandÆs more traditional prog sound, with an epic chorus. By far the darkest track on the album both sonically and lyrically is æObeliskÆ, which deals with a different sort of break up, this time observing that of cult etiquette. æRolling in my HeadÆ was written, ôright in the middle of the grieving stage of a break up,ö Huw says. ôHopefully thereÆs a rawness there that people can relate to.ö Album closer æAgainst All OddsÆ is an epic, energetic 8-minute wig-out. Formed in Leeds in 2015, KOYO have fast become a major force in the cityÆs thriving alternative scene. A powerful live act, the band create sonic spectacles through soaring layers of sound. This electric show has blown away audiences at Reading & Leeds, Download, RamblinÆ Man, Live At Leeds and Camden Rocks Festivals. |
