Album Review: Guitar Fight From Fooly Cooly – Drought EP

by Sam Stewart

Genre: DIY Punk, Emo

Release Date: Jan 30th, 2023

Rating: 8/10

RIYL: Origami Angel, Oolong, Prince Daddy and the Hyena, Ogbert the Nerd

Given that it’s been two years since we have heard from Tennessee’s Guitar Fight From Fooly Cooly, I was very worried in anticipation for this long awaited return EP. Will the band still maintain the frantic and innovative emo energy they brought on their previous releases (2018s Alpha Omega Murphy and 2020s Soak), or will they go in a new direction. Will that direction still be 10x heavier than your average twinkly emo band or will they cool things down and go in a more pop-oriented and tuneful direction like Prince Daddy and the Hyena did on their last LP? Looking back now these questions seem almost silly, because of course Guitar Fight was going to kill it on Drought. The new EP is, sadly, only four tracks: the fiery intro Black Hole City, Blood Mouth, Pyramid (which was released as a single back in 2021), and the finale Wooden Cross. Each of these tracks feature Guitar Fight’s trademark sound: blistering and winding tapped guitar riffs, frantic and heavy rhythm section, and the distorted screamed vocals. It does feel like a case of the band “doing their thing”, but with gfx3c that’s hardly a point against them. Drought does set itself apart from Guitar Fight’s past work however. The band have moved beyond the lo-fi burnt sound of their first album, which I can only imagine existed because of a lack of equipment and personnel that’s afforded to a small diy-emo band. They have also subtly moved away from the sound of their 2020 album Soak, which has a very distinct crunchy and crushed sound on all members of the band. Drought in comparison has a much more typical sound for this type of aggressive music. The production is much more washed out, letting the guitar blend in more with the rest of the band. Despite these changes in production, the songwriting remains distinctly Guitar Fight: they have the tone and aggression of a hardcore group but the tappy riffs and anxious lyrics of an emo band. I might be writing too much about a four track EP, but the music is just so thrilling that I feel so compelled to sing its praises as far as I can. If the bandcamp page for this EP is any sign of the future, we can expect more music from Guitar Fight soon and based on Drought I am so very excited for what comes next.