Baltimore rocknrollas, Combat, present the freshest emo album of the year, Stay Golden. Produced by Ryland Heagy of Origami Angel, Stay Golden was released to Counter Intuitive Records on August 16th. The album is splattered with humor and vulnerable authenticity, with threads of MCR accentuated by ripping riffage. Holden Wolf displays a fearlessness in revealing all his insecurities and eccentricities over electric guitar symphonies that blast off at every turn of the record. Let’s get into the track by track review. Feel free to give it a listen while you read up.
The intro lasts 30 seconds, walking us in with a piano before we engage into “Combat mode.”
On title track “Stay Golden,” twinkling guitars hook us in before screaming and shouting take hold of the track. Wolf sings, “I still got my Black Flag t-shirt.” As someone who’s admittedly a little averse to ska- the implementation on this track is perfect. All of this clockin’ in at just under 2 minutes makes for a whirlwind of a listen.
“Faith” opens with a picture of a burnt out college student- “I’m too tired to go to class, haven’t been since last Wednesday”… “I don’t wanna do this Combat shit anymore”- then, unveils that inner spark of determination that faces you when you really want something seemingly out of reach- “If you really wanna be the person you wanna be, then you gotta do something…” There’s a beautiful desperation and dedication hanging in the balance- this record is so clearly a result of that.
“Put, Me In Coach” shreds its way through just over a minute of angst-fueled riffs. Wolf screams “am I the person you want me to be / do I make you lots of money?”
“Good News” kicks off with a sample saying, “It’s an entirely different kind of flying”- the rockers blitz forward from this into a new flurry for the project. Once again, the track runs just over a minute and refuses to waste a second of it.
We get the gold standard of Stay Golden on “Full Speed Ahead.” The album’s in full force as Combat speeds by on track 6, screamin’ it’s namesake as guitars light up the track. The drums kick in and suddenly it’s an emo-punk breakdown to write home about. The momentum of this project just can’t stop.
“Cool For A While” hurls us right back into frantic solos and anthemic shouting as a 2 step takes the floor in the imaginary house show that’s been unfolding in our head throughout this album.
On track 8, Wolf tells a tale of an ol’ love sayin, “I really wanna see you everyday.” As he delivers heartfelt messages on “Weird Ending Explained, Pt. 1”, the 7 and a half minute colossus recedes from its up tempo nature into sulking slowcore melodies. “Every day” repeats over and over before that speed picks up again. We reach a seminal series of lines in the album as we hear Wolf shout, “Better stay golden so you don’t get caught standing out of place / Everyone’s punk until someone has something to say / think it’s pretty stupid how the ones cheating have all cards in play / being fuckin moral’s getting trampled over, bruised face”
All throughout, the band’s instrumentals remain incredibly dynamic, responding to the lyrics of Wolf and intensifying the greater picture through their own sonics. It all comes together into an almost orchestral manifestation of an emo-punk rock album.
“Stay Golden (reprise)” feels like listening to “We Are The Champions.”
“Happy Again” hooks in with the lines, “Things have gotten bad again / I mean for real this time.” There’s a brief break and Wolf sings- “You don’t know me like I do.” From here, the track picks up back into a frenzy before launching off into rocketing guitars and slammin drums.
“Merrow Lanes” bursts out the gate with a fire, rockin’ the 2 minute runtime while “makin’ the best of a shitty situation.” The track concludes with a firework show of the revolving words “You’re gonna have to do better.”
“Compound Sentences” strips back to acoustic guitars, showing off some soul as he sings in integrity about lovin’ grabbin’ fast food with someone special. In the second half, they don’t lose out on the opportunity to fuse it with some raging guitars and rockin’ drums.
The penultimate track, “Epic Season Finale,” speaks in honesty about growing up and the struggles of the music industry. These challenges feel relatable because they’re the state of the world. Wolf never feels like he’s talking down to anyone, instead talking to ya at eye level as he pours his heart into every word. The band comes to back him up every time with a storm of instrumentation, displaying a powerful sense of camaraderie throughout the rockers.
At long last, we come to a conclusion on “Weird Ending Explained, Pt. 2.” The rhythm section rocks it up as they lay the runway for this odyssey of a closer. The track begins to take off and suddenly we’re soaring through punk rock skies. Across the lyrics, Wolf questions all he’s been, all he is, and all he’s becoming. “You signed your life away to rock and roll and chevrolet.” He sings “Melodies coming back from older songs” before those leitmotifs we’ve been hearing throughout return- it’s pure gold as we hear that “better stay golden” come back at full speed. It’s a grand victory lap for an incredible album.
Come see Combat rock out a legendary show at Tua Lingua tonight with Newgrounds Death Rugby and Never Any Ordinary!
