Such Gold Find the Sweet Spot Between Technical and Experimental

by

Punk rock doesn’t have the reputation for being the most technical genre. But Rochester, New York’s Such Gold are out to change that. The band’s newest 5-song EP, Deep in a Hole, is an explosion of colorful instrumentation and soaring melodies.

Such Gold Get Experimental

Such Gold performing in a full room of enthused fans
Photo courtesy of Ashlea Bea Photography

Deep in a Hole is the band’s first release since 2014’s New Sidewalk. While not a major departure from their typical arrangements, Such Gold’s latest effort strives to blend their technicality with fresh harmonies that leave rainbows over the complex rhythms. The combination of Ben Kotin’s and Jon Markson’s vocals offer a welcomed dynamic. The duo feed off each other’s energy to create enchanting harmonies, bringing a sweetness to their punk sound.

Beneath the playful vocals, Such Gold tackle an onslaught of complex rhythms and dissonance with confidence. Every piece of the ensemble feels intentional and measured, allowing them to shine individually. The layers each member offer to the band make Deep in a Hole that much more appealing.

Visualizing the Sound

The EP’s album art acts almost as a visual representation of the album itself. On one hand, there is a kind of familiarity to the Such Gold sound that makes it an easy listen. But apart of this sound is the flurry of shifting notes that dance with a rehearsed destructiveness. As the abrasive guitar riffs demolish everything in sight, the evolved vocal dynamics offers a dreaminess to the equation.

Such Gold's album art for "Deep in a Hole" features a group sitting on a hill as the scenery before them gets demolished
The album art for Such Gold’s “Deep in a Hole” available now on Bird Attack Records

The contrasting ideas imposed by the destruction in the background and the layering of colors on top the entirety of the art is jarring and unnatural. These are the same ideas Such Gold explore with Deep in a Hole. The sweet harmonies matched with the rigid shifts in pace is an intriguing step for the band.

While many of their peers are slowing down to a more relaxed tempo, Such Gold are pushing forward with maximum velocity. Despite how long they’ve been together, Such Gold have yet to settle for normalcy. Deep in a Hold show the band transitioning into a phase of their career that pushes both their musicianship and creativity.

Deep in a Hole is available now on Bird Attack Records.

Check out Such Gold revisiting some old songs on Bridge City Sessions: