On the 12th of January, Good Cop treated us to their freshest musical creation- ‘No Country For The Young’. A follow up to their 2023 EP ‘We’ll Burn That Bridge When We Get To It’, ‘No Country For The Young’ is a bitter and deeply cynical grievance letter to the UK government, covering all the things we are all too exhausted to shout about.
Hardcore and menacingly punk, the 6 track EP plays with a variety of sounds, with some tracks coming out more brutal than others. Excitingly, Good Cop seem to be experimenting more with a range of vocal work in this EP. We hear rage-fuelled metal growls, exasperated screams, but also punk chants. Throughout this EP, we see a plethora of character spilling out of the band. Whilst each track rolls from one to the next smoothly, this EP does not work as one narrative, instead each track stands alone and must be appreciated individually.
Kicking off with ‘I Identify As A Death Threat’, Good Cop introduce themselves with a punch. A comical sample opens the track, and then we are thrown into hardcore punk turmoil. Exhausting and vicious riffs beg for this track to be heard in a live setting: moshing mandatory. The vocal work in this track is harsh and deep, showcasing the band’s heavier nature- with what can almost be described as deathcore vocals.
Next up is ‘Nice Shot, Nancy Boy’. Warming us in with scratchy and spooky riffs, Good Cop carry on with their heavier tone in this song, playing on their political punk background merged with deathcore vocals and instrumentals. Towards the end of the track Good Cop’s lead vocalist breaks through with the spoken line- ‘Nice shot Nancy boy, you fucking missed’- in my opinion, this is one of the key moments in this EP that you really hear the personality and character of Good Cop gleaming through.
‘Hunting Party’ pulls us in a with a fat, bassy riff, and what can only be described as nu-metal vocals. This must rank as my favourite track on this EP. I would say ‘Hunting Party’ is arguably one of the more experimental tracks from the EP, as Good Cop toy with fast spoken word/rapping. From my personal taste, this sound works exceptionally well for the outfit, furthermore the addition of a short and unexpected jazz sample at the end the track adds to this song’s unique nature.
Ricocheting through the short and brutal interlude ‘241 @ Dignitas’, we find ourselves pulled into the EP’s next track ‘Old Yeller Got The Drop On Me’. This 1-minute song throws us into heavy hardcore punk mayhem. Listening to this track forces me to envision the vicious moshing and intense two-stepping that must be going on at Good Cop live shows.
Closing out the EP, we have ‘Minimum Rage’. As you can maybe expect from the song title, this track is rage-infused and wildly fiery. Hard-hitting lyrics and ruthless riffs add to the dramatic effect of this song with nothing but anger and angst flooding through the speakers.
You can now listen to ‘No Country For The Young’ on all major streaming platforms.
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