Album Review: Songs to Yeet at the Sun - EP (November 6, 2020)

The Context – Hardcore punk, much like many decades-old genres, has evolved since its inception in the late 70s and its 1980s zenith with the preeminence of Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, and the Dead Kennedys. The once homogenous and politically turbulent genre has grown to include the likes of Afro-punk band Soul Glo.

The Philadelphia-based quartet introduced themselves to the hardcore scene with the thirteen quick-hitting tracks comprising their 2015 self-released debut Untitled. Soul Glo re-released this debut twice in 2016 and 2018 with an additional seven untitled and fired-up tracks on their former label SRA Records. The group prominently explored racial dynamics on the 2019 single “Too Late, N****r I’m Tired” and LP The N***a in Me Is Me—the final releases on SRA. Now attached to Secret Voice, a subsidiary of Deathwish, Soul Glo released their first EP Songs to Yeet at the Sun on November 6, 2020.

The Content – Contrary to the song title, Soul Glo opens Songs to Yeet at the Sun with the thrashing, scream heavy track “(Quietly) Do the Right Thing.” The shortest of the five tracks, “29” is another fever-paced song that concludes in an abrupt cacophony. “2K” seemingly abandons hardcore punk as the gender-bending selection combines trap beats and rather subdued rap bars. The quartet returns to their hardcore roots on “Mathed Up,” which continues the band’s rage. “I’m on Probation” is a head banger that contains the most vitriol and heavy, yet slow burning guitars.

The Skinny – Perhaps the best named record of 2020, Songs to Yeet at the Sun demonstrates the prototypical aggression of hardcore punk while simultaneously showcasing the increasing musical diversity within the genre. Tracks like “2K” give a taste of Soul Glo’s versatility and maybe even prophesizes a hardcore-rap fusion in the works. However, this sonic vision remains just a pipedream as Songs to Yeet at the Sun is a brief but brilliant sample from Soul Glo.

The Rating – 6.7/10

Songs to Yeet at the Sun – EP