COWBOYY + DIVORCE ATTORNEY + RAGDOLL – THE HOPE & RUIN, BRIGHTON 22.4.24
Following a week’s recuperation from life, work and the odd ‘Homegrown Festival’, (Reviews HERE) I’m back in the review-writing saddle with my destination being the Portsmouth-born Cowboyy. Forming at the start of 2022, this is a trio that bases itself on a specific avenue of experimental rock and math rock that appeals to me in the sincerest of ways. The group, formed of guitarist and vocalist Stanley Powell, bassist Kai Smith and drummer Rhys Teal, brought forward their ‘Epic The Movie’ EP in the March of 2023, with a musical fingerprint that sounds as if black midi had continued trekking down their math rock beginnings. Cowboyy’s distinctive array of chaos, humour and musicianship were considered strong enough to propel them as support acts for bands such as FUR and Courting, as well as their stint at Brighton’s ‘Mutations Festival’ last year. Even taking into account the departure of original member Reubin Yarnold who contributed to the band’s vocal and guitar outlets, the group still carry a strong and bright future ahead of them if what I witnessed on Monday night at The Hope & Ruin was anything to go by…!
Opening for Cowboyy is the lo-fi slowcore outfit Ragdoll (not to be confused with industrial metal band Rage Doll), formed of singer and guitarist Tamblyn Sturgess and drummer Freddie Haggar. I’ve had the joy of catching the duo once before playing alongside Josh Hazelden at East Street Tap almost a year ago to the day, and remember a loose, yet captivating performance, as well as Tamblyn’s distinctive pedal-carrying Paddington suitcase adorning the floor… a feature of which still remained part of the band’s profile 371 days later. Tamblyn introduces herself and Freddie before opening with the song ‘Luna’, a weighty and melancholic number reminiscent of similar groups like Duster and Have a Nice Life, both of which are big inspirations. The cavernous soundscapes created by Tamblyn’s guitar carry over into the song ‘Elden’, with her Jordaan Mason-esque voice striking a chord with the audience. They begin to tease their upcoming single plans with the song ‘Track One’, despite being the third track of the night; this track holds a sense of fragility in the rhythms and guitar patterns, with the Ragdoll pair expertly shifting dynamics from loud to quiet faultlessly!
A 5/4 groove opens the track ‘Moss’ with its blistering ride cymbals from Freddie and a nonchalant vocal delivery from Tamblyn. The song evolves into alternating time signatures, erratic drum grooves and repeating cries of “I’m so sorry…!” leading the song to act as one of the more emotional moments in the set. The slow-pace ‘Little Green Man’ is a much more meditative track that, while features re-iterations of most of the set thus far, is a glorious array of drones and atmospheric guitar work that both soothes and overwhelms the brain, while the track ‘Blam’ quickly switches from airy, reverb-drenched chord patterns to a transcendently fast post-punk groove that descends into delayed feedback and clattering drums! The conclusion of this song bleeds into the closing ‘Black Mirror’, still hanging in the background in muffled format. The duo end the set wonderfully with this track, with Tamblyn’s vocals changing from fragile yelling to melancholic spoken word in a matter of words and Freddie’s drums almost decapitating their rhythms towards a close.
Ragdoll:
Tamblyn Sturgess – vocals, guitar
Freddie Haggar – drums
Ragdoll setlist:
‘Luna’
‘Elden’
‘Track One’
‘Moss’
‘Little Green Man’
‘Blam’
‘Black Mirror’
www.youtube.com/@thebandragdoll
From a reunion blessing from one band to a familiar old friend in another, the second support for the evening is the illustrious five-piece art rock troupe Divorce Attorney. The brainchild of one vocalist and guitarist Nathan Key, these guys are a powerhouse that I have enjoyed performances of on many occasions, thanks to the talented group of musicians backing Nathan including drummer Owen Flood, saxophonist and guitarist David Swenzen, bassist Harvey Allen and keytarist Alex Lemonidis. Even with only two official singles to their name – ‘Mothballs’ and ‘Blessing’, the guys have made a remarkable name for themselves with their inventive songwriting, tight musicianship and bewildering live performances, all of which remained high hallmarks at this Cowboyy show. To my recollection, this is the first instance of the band opening with their debut single ‘Mothballs’, a track I have always seen them perform last! The song’s slow groove and sleazy riffs grab hold of the audience’s ears like a bully overlooking the weak, with Nathan perched ominously behind his microphone. The casual jamboree of sounds on this track are amazing, from the paced-out bassline from Harvey and Alex’s clustered piano chords on the keytar. Saxophone legend David Swenzen switches to a guitar for the track ‘Ok, Now What’, a song that, despite a brief keytar cable unplugging mishap, portrays itself as a baritone nightmare thanks to Nathan’s guitar parts and Owen’s ferocious drumming. There are moments in this track where the instrumentalists flail out of pocket before heading back into a groove, faultlessly and effortlessly!
The demented nightclub vibes of ‘Blessing’, with its glistening high-end key parts in the intro, are a nice touch in the setlist. Owen’s shuffling downtempo groove in the opening section and the overarching downtrodden atmosphere is a strong cosmopolitan painting that shows off the band’s aura marvellously. There is some incredible dynamic control between the five members that comes through staggeringly well on the track ‘Small Talk’, with its heavy chorus and insane drum groove that appears towards the back end of the song. However, it wouldn’t be a Divorce Attorney show… without the Nintendo DS. During the song ‘Duality’, a brief instrumental the band indulge in halfway through the set, Alex pulls out a keyboard on his Nintendo DS and performs a synthesizer melody! Honestly, it’s live moments like this that keep me coming back to Brighton for more! A live debut, Divorce Attorney treats us to the song ‘One In The Same’, with lightly brushed snare hits cueing a loud chorus eruption of distorted guitars and blistering drums within their trademark art rock for the sleazy underworld. ‘Eulogy’ closes the set with some of the best drumwork from Owen I’ve caught him play; the loose yet controlled drum fills are bewilderingly remarkable, as well as the drastic changes in dynamics that are a staple in Divorce Attorney songs. The unnerving final section tells you everything you need to know about these guys: their unique grasp of songwriting, instrumental arrangement and general dystopian musical blueprint will leave you transfixed… and looking for your Nintendo DS for nostalgia’s sake.
Divorce Attorney:
Nathan Key – vocals, electric guitar
Alex Lemonidis – keytar, Nintendo DS
Harvey Allen – bass
Owen Flood – drums
David Swenzen – saxophone, guitar
Divorce Attorney setlist:
‘Mothballs’
‘Ok, Now What’
‘Blessing’
‘Small Talk’
‘Duality’
‘One In The Same’
‘Eulogy’
Well, I’ve waited long enough, time for the almighty trio of Cowboyy to take to the stage. After brief soundchecking snippets from each of the three band members, Stan Powell kicks off with no setlist in mind, on the track ‘Chair Mountain’, with a stabbing guitar pattern that mutates into an erratic riff. Already, the ‘Schlagenheim’-era black midi shows off prominently with the overall feel of the groove sounding like a cross between their songs ‘953’ and ‘Near DT, MI’. Locked in muscle memory, Stan, Rhys and Kai transmute their experimental rock leanings into the song ‘Chained To Pain’, featuring the start of Stan’s trademark guitar techniques involving fast-looping riff slams and Rainbow Machine effect pedal, all the while holding a post-hardcore flair that fans of Slint and Unwound would appreciate. The screeching guitars in the introduction of ‘Bell Pepper Hell’ are a devilish component of the band, as well as Kai’s strummed bass parts that add a whole new level of weight to the proceedings; this is a very short track, but a very fun one at that! The jerky math pop rhythms of ‘Gmaps’ (which I’m assuming is a contraction of Google Maps?) keep the audience on full alert, with Stan’s argumentative spoken word sitting just underneath the kaleidoscope of raw instrumentation. A strong favourite of the set for me was the song ‘Tennis’, which featured repetitive chordwork one could hear in a Geese track, with some sweet melodies buried underneath the amazing disarray.
By the same token, ‘Drawbridge’ opens with a lovely melody that takes off its mask to reveal disjointed and jerky propulsion and an angular sound that gives me visual images of fast motion clips of Google Sketchup progress… a niche thought, I know, but maybe a music video to be considered, boys? Rhys is the hidden star of the Cowboyy rodeo with his monumentally disorienting drumming acting as the main piece of the experimental rock jigsaw that is ‘Incomplete’. The main progression of this track is so much fun, pushing and pulling in syncopation with a fantastic balance of play and discipline, even with tempo changes and high-Whammy guitar riffs. The band diverge from their setlist into a brief loop pedal jam, based off of a step-ascending guitar pattern from Stan which he manipulates with his effects pedals in a manner that David Thomas Broughton would be proud of. Some extreme tapping on the guitar kicks off the track ‘Chewing’ as well as its rapid fast groove, and I mean rapid! There are so many influences screaming out to me here, but Cowboyy have successfully created their own persona all while staying true to their roots and appreciations… something that can be heard in the brief moments Stan has playing riffs from other songs during the final moments of the set, including Slint’s ‘Breadcrumb Trail’ and ‘In My Life’ by The Beatles (oh, and the Nokia ringtone for some reason…!). The noisy and chaotic multi-phased closer, ‘A Geometric Observation’ is the most synonymous Cowboyy track of the entire set: the fiery post-hardcore passages, the angular math rock rhythms and electrifying tempo and groove changes transfix the audience into permanent highs as they thank the crowd for their time and attention before heading off the stage. I tell you what, it’s nights like these that keep me invested in life and musical culture around Brighton, the willfulness to push boundaries, break down vulnerability and engage in controlled disorientation is a joy to behold, and on that Monday night, it was all thanks to Ragdoll, Divorce Attorney and Cowboyy.
Cowboyy:
Stan Powell – vocals, guitar
Rhys Teal – drums
Kai Smith – bass
Cowboyy setlist:
‘Chair Mountain’ (unreleased)
‘Chained To Pain’ (unreleased)
‘Bell Pepper Hell’ (unreleased)
‘Gmaps’ (from 2023 ‘Epic The Movie’ EP)
‘Tennis’ (from 2023 ‘Epic The Movie’ EP)
‘Drawbridge’ (unreleased)
‘Incomplete’ (unreleased)
‘Loop jam’
‘Chewing’ (unreleased)
‘A Geometric Observation’ (unreleased)
