Koyo have released their sophomore album, Barely Here, out today via Pure Noise Records. Clocking in at ten songs in just 28 minutes, the album is a lean blast of incredibly anthemic punk that packs the firecracker guts of The Movielife, the widescreen hooks of Taking Back Sunday, and the tuneful grit of Silent Majority—but more than anything it sounds like Koyo themselves.
The album’s early singles drew praise from the likes of Stereogum, Alt Press, BrooklynVegan, Uproxx, and more, and now longtime fans and newcomers alike can dive into one of the catchiest punk records of the year. Koyo are also celebrating release day with a music video for the title track.
Koyo‘s debut full-length, Would You Miss It? drew acclaim from listeners and critics alike for their unabashedly heart-on-sleeve blend of punk, hardcore, and emo, and now Barely Here hones that combination even further. “A lot of bands think their second album has to be this magnum opus epic that sews so many things together, and I think we’d actually taken more of that approach with our first LP. ” explains Chiaramonte. “So with Barely Here we wanted to do the opposite of that trajectory–we wanted to refine our strengths instead of doing this purposeful departure. It’s a snapshot of what our band is in its most no-frills, perfected form.” Produced, engineered, and mixed by longtime collaborator Jon Markson (Drug Church, Drain, The Story So Far), and featuring guest appearances from Sammy Ciaramitaro of Drain and Marisa Shirar of Fleshwater, Barely Here sounds like a confident band who know exactly what they want to make and excel at making it.
Barely Here track list:
1. Barely Here
2. Jet Stream Wish
3. Saying Vs Meaning (feat. Sammy Ciaramitaro)
4. It Happens to the Best of Us
5. You Hate Me
6. Selden Mansions
7. Oxidize (feat. Marisa Shirar)
8. What I’m Worth
9. Pace and Loiter
10. Irreversible
BARELY HERE IS OUT NOW VIA PURE NOISE RECORDS