Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Caleb Chauncey and drummer Nate Cook, Kennesaw duo Cougar Sweat play Southern-tinged melodic rock that maintains the familiar trappings of a lot of guitar-driven indie fare—it’s heavy on hooky riffs and energetic vocals with the occasional slow-burning ballad thrown into the mix. However, the rough-and-tumble groove that opens the pair’s new single “Peace,” is both tense and elastic, a seeming contradiction that allows the track to unfurl in intriguing ways. Sure, that hard-charging chorus feels a tad expected, but couched as it is against the spidery verse that precedes it, the spring-loaded momentum is compounded into something more formidable and alluring.
Listening to their debut EP, now about a year old, the band had a tendency to polish their songs to a glimmering sheen. In contrast, “Peace” is more gritty, organic, and assertive. There’s a touch of ’90s alt-rock buried in there—the punkish underground kind more so than the mainstream radio stuff—and while it’s probably too early to determine what size or shape Cougar Sweat will ultimately take, this is certainly a solid step in a promising direction.
Cougar Sweat will perform on Fri., May 25 at Eddie’s Attic alongside Rooster Cogburn and Raps Moran. Doors open at 8:45 p.m. Admission is $8-12. All ages.
More Info
Web: cougarsweat.com
Facebook: @cougarsweatmusic
Instagram: @cougarsweatmusic
SoundCloud: @cougarsweat
Twitter: @cougarsweat