3 out of 5

Label: self-released

Produced by: Joshua Browning (recorded by, mixed by)

This is a very fun instrumental rock record that I think I would have a lot more to say about iiiif I hadn’t heard Darediablo first. I’m obnoxiously being “that guy” who says ‘so and so did it first,’ but I couldn’t quite get over the shared vibes here, with Coward’s mathier leanings heavily curbed by a dose of 70s proggy keys, which are a main component of ‘Diablo’s sound. Those leanings are where Coward starts to define their shtick a bit more, which is sincerely a great mix (and one I feel is fleshed out more on their EP), but over the course 11 tracks, there’s a dash of jam band energy – even with 3-4 minute track runtimes – such that the greatness gets lost in an easy-going, hey-man-it’s-rock-and-roll vibe.

But back to the positives: On opener Math Wrap, and tighter cuts like Test Meat, Coward will focus a bit more tightly on interplay with the percussion to shape the tune – whether that’s trading off with some Keelhaul-like riff slinging or kitschy moog-sounding keys – before letting the midsection of the song explore poppier or heavier or more melodic sections. These can be incredibly satisfying, especially when something that’s all start-and-stop energy hits on a more emotive moment. When the flow is reversed, though – when we start more cautiously and bake the complexity into a bridge or past an intro – songs tend to lack a hook or clearer vibe; perhaps Joshua Browning’s recording / mix approach just tends not to bring a lot of shine to these moments.

Taken as a whole, though, Coward’s music is never not fun, it’s just a matter of how memorable it is; the group – at this stage, anyway – suffered from opening band syndrome some (certainly a good warm up, but maybe you’re just browsing and not buying their merch), though the chops were absolutely there to enable them to launch into something more definitive.