Music, like many art forms, is meant to instill emotion, sensation or a vibe – or at the very least, make you feel something. With virality, memes and co-signs becoming the bread and butter for quick success in music, sadly, some of the substance is lost along with it, crafting throwaway songs that only fulfill a temporary high.
Brooklyn-based indie-pop duo Overcoats are an exemplary antithesis of the concept, and to boot, pen songs that are filled with themes of empowerment, self-love and identity. Hana and JJ urge that it's so much more, and that "we want people to be able to take what they need from our music. To be able to heal from it, but also rise up and fight for what they want and who they want to be. Hopefully, [The Fight] can do that for as many people as possible."
As we move on to the musicality of the album, they boldly claim that "The Fight is an attempt at a future-classic," and one listen will certainly give the impression that the album was meticulously crafted to stand the test of time. "It’s got the songwriting that hopefully can traverse genres and moments. We wanted to keep the honest lyrics writing and singing in harmony at the core of what this project is," both of which being hallmarks of their already distinct style. Yet, as the album title suggests, they are venturing down a confrontational path on the album, noting that "the sonic backdrop is much more rock, gritty, and punk than our first album", summarising their overall sound as "very folk-oriented and sonically sounds like electro-rock."
Always pushing to get the best out of each other and themselves, they consistently experiment with the boundaries of the sound, stating that "there were so many times where we planned for a song to sound like one thing, and then we would start recording it and it would sound like a totally different thing, and we'd just have to follow that. "Fire & Fury", as well as a song called "I'll Be There," were two of these examples where their first versions sound completely different from their album versions."
Their songwriting carries the rare trait of being both vivid on the behalf of their narrative, but also wildly relatable as if you were living it yourself. Speaking to this, they note that "the album explores the many definitions of the word “fight,” including arguments with significant others, the challenge of today’s political world (especially as women), and the battle against one's inner demons." A call-to-arms for the every day, The Fight provides ample food for thought at every turn.
The Fight is a substantial step forward in the duo's sound, and in doing so, their newfound confidence clearly evident on each track of this powerhouse of an album.
The Fight is out now via Loma Vista Recordings.
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