"The sky is falling, but we'll get through it": Overcoats - The Fight

As Overcoats sheepishly acknowledged back in March, now doesn't feel like a great time to be releasing an album. But, even with a global pandemic ever encroaching, they elected to go ahead and release The Fight anyway in the hope that it might provide a bit of comfort to fans and new listeners alike.

Ultimately, this was the right decision. Not just because The Fight is a fitting follow up to 2017's excellent debut, Young, but because the deep level of questioning and personal reassurance Overcoats are providing here feels very, very timely.

Opening track 'I'll Be There' may be vocoder heavy, but it's also the sonic equivalent of a warm hug, a slice of solidarity that is very welcome at the moment. Similarly, 'Fire & Fury', while it might have been written about the resurgence of political activism in the US following the 2016 election, has enough post apocalyptic imagery in it to feel highly appropriate pandemic listening. It's the sound of someone questioning their life, and the lives of those around them, not liking what they see but also being optimistic and pragmatic enough to lace the song together with hope and a catchy chorus: The sky is falling, but we'll get through it.

Previous singles, the gloriously stroppy 'The Fool' and anthemic 'Leave If You Wanna' are classic Overcoats: They're still singing the unsingable when it comes to taking apart failing relationships and marrying the results to upbeat electro pop and their trademark beautiful harmonies. "Some days I love you, some days I don't" being a suitably nonchalant-but-honest lyric.

The shouty, slightly hectic 'Apathetic Boys' meanwhile is reminiscent of Jesca Hoop's more lo fi scuffed indie rock oevre, whereas 'Keep The Faith' is Overcoats revealing their tender side. Set alongside the folky singalong of 'Drift', which is a sublime piece of subtlety that just builds and builds, it shows the quality and ease of their songwriting. 

Title track 'The Fight' is another anthem for our new world "This Is The Fight" they maintain, while acknowledging "I know you're tired. Night after night; the great divide". More than anything, it's this song that shows just how far their songwriting has progressed. Thematically, 'New Shoes' also feels like it was written for lockdown, or shelter in place as they call it in the US. A pared down track on acoustic guitar, it poses the question "What good are these new shoes if I can't leave my room" not because of lockdown, but because of a more traditional problem: He hasn't called. 

The Fight marries bolshy electro pop with beautiful acoustic pop songs, and there's a political charge here that compliments the personal anger. Whether they are focusing their lens on personal affairs or the wider world, they're able to carry it off with ease and aplomb. The Fight is a worthy successor to Young and, if there is any justice in the world, it will build on and enhance the bands musical profile.