COURTING are a Liverpool four piece who write and rehearse in the basement of a city restaurant and draw inspiration from the creative melting pot of Merseyside. The group are influenced by a range of artists such as Parquet Courts and LCD Soundsystem, all while maintaining a very British identity.

Despite the members being between 18 and 19 years old, they released their debut EP ‘Grand National’ on 9th April 2021.

The introduction of the title track ‘Grand National’ sounds like if Black Midi covered a Clash song. Crunchy chords along with the vocal melody of the verse are bouncy and jolly whilst the chorus radiates sounds of current post-punk through the absurd lyrics and shouty vocals. Instrumentation is constantly exciting throughout the many pockets of sound and the experimental licks that occur. The ending explosion of thunderous music is oddly ended by the slower stripped back indie noises as we transition into ‘Popshop!’

Quirky and quick-witted, ‘Popshop!’ delves into an even more enjoyable chime despite the shorter and subtler style. Prominent percussion is full of character and the repeating guitar riffs are perfectly captivating as they oddly jump from note to note. Sharp and broken vocals grip my attention when they grow gritty, allowing this song to really take off.

‘Crass’ has a darker sound in spite of the continuation of the odd and eccentric guitar riffs. Vocals take on a monotonous tone as they display the bitterly eye opening and clever lyrics. Fuelled by emotion, it’s incredibly punchy and is easily the song I hold highest in terms of musical expression and impressiveness. As we gradually make our way through, everything becomes harsher, with an energetically empowering end.

Flowing right into ‘Slow Burner’, this final post-punk tune is subtly 80s with its rather off putting cowbell that clangs from start to end (more cowbell!). In face of the recurring pattern of this song, it undoubtedly stands out as it introduces another jarring sound to Courting’s repertoire. As the lyrics “slow burner!” are chanted again and again, I feel myself become mesmerised until things loosen up as that cowbell takes a groovy shift. Vocals eventually become savage and the EP comes to an end in a curious and improbable way.

Review by Martha Greer