Koyo: Barely Here

"Koyo couldn't be more Long Island if they tried. The band is undeniably a product of Long Island melodic hardcore's long, fruitful legacy-one that encompasses everyone from Silent Majority, who were 1990s proto-emo trailblazers, to Glassjaw, who fused the serrated chaos of hardcore with pockets of unexpected harmony, to bands like Brand New and Taking Back Sunday, who brought this sound to malls and stadiums across America in the early 2000s. From their very first release, Koyo has paid homage to this scene-the five-piece called its first EP "a love letter to Long Island music." Now, on their second full-length album, Barely Here, Koyo carry the torch of their predecessors with energy to burn."

"While there are traces of emo and pop-punk in the band's DNA, Koyo proudly maintain their footing in the contemporary hardcore scene. To that end, they tapped Sammy Ciaramitaro, the endearingly uber-positive frontman of Santa Cruz thrash-core outfit Drain, to lend his inimitable snarl to one of Barely Here's more propulsive tracks, "Saying vs. Meaning." Yet when it comes to a solid pop hook, Koyo just can't help themselves. Like emo legends Saves the Day or hometown heroes The Movielife, Koyo's sound is disarmingly sincere, reflecting the heartache that often befalls kids from sleepy suburban towns where escape is the only dream that makes sense."

"It's an immediate, deeply earnest album; the members of Koyo seem to really believe in the power of this sound, and they want you to believe, too. Joey Chiaramonte's impassioned vocals cut through the shimmering crunch of "Jet Stream Wish," elevating what should sound like Hot Topic pastiche into a tight-sounding throwback anthem. The singles are clear highlights: the pit-ready "You Hate Me"; "Irreversible," which recalls The Movielife with the spite dialed way up. The pummeling riff that powers "It Happens to the Best Of Us" sounds primed for either the KROQ Weenie Roast sta"

Koyo is a five-piece band rooted in Long Island melodic hardcore, drawing lineage from earlier acts that blended hardcore intensity with emo and unexpected harmony. Their first EP was framed as a love letter to Long Island music, and their second full-length album, Barely Here, continues that tradition with high energy. The band keeps emo and pop-punk elements in their sound while firmly operating within the contemporary hardcore scene. They enlisted Sammy Ciaramitaro of Drain to add his distinctive snarl to “Saying vs. Meaning.” The album pairs impassioned vocals with shimmering crunch and pop hooks, creating sincere, heartache-driven anthems. Standouts include “Jet Stream Wish,” “You Hate Me,” “Irreversible,” and “It Happens to the Best Of Us.”

Read at Pitchfork