The Casper Fight Scene’s Sophomore EP “Haymaker” Is Leaving Us Excited For More
The Indie/Alternative group The Casper Fight Scene have been on the map since their first single “Kill Me,” was released last year. The band is made up of a group of high school friends from Michigan who formed during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020. In 2022, they put out their first EP titled Good Deal.
The Casper Fight Scene is back this week with the release of their highly anticipated sophomore EP titled Haymaker. The opening track “Church Coffee” starts out slower, but then shifts gears into a heavier tune with raw, powerful vocals and a strong drum presence. “Church Coffee” being the first track makes perfect sense, as it sets the tone and gives the listener a bit of insight on what’s to come. It’s energetic, emotional, and shows a wide vocal range off the bat. It’s immediately followed up with “Wreck Lanes,” which has a catchy melody from the jump. Although this is a brief 2-minute track, there is a wide range of instrumentals, layered with a catchy riff that flows throughout the song. The combination of electric guitar and drum sequences provides an energetic performance from start to finish.
That takes us to “Fabric,” which is admittedly my favorite track in this project. Particularly the last thirty or so seconds, in which we hear a more isolated vocal, in juxtaposition to the heavy chant that precedes it. The slower ending adds a great transition into the next song “Discomfort Inn,” when listening to the EP from top to bottom. The immediate punchiness from the beginning of the track had me hooked from the start—and as the song progresses, we come across sections that are more stripped down with a chit-chatty vocal run. We’re then hit with another heavier portion where they sing “Been avoiding all my friends, cause I don’t know how to talk to them.” This song follows a self-reflection that flashes through brief memories, like being in a crowd at a show and falling asleep during the car ride home. The specified moments take the listener through the story from verse to verse, and the imagery is strong in that sense.
In terms of sequencing, The Casper Fight Scene has nailed it with the arrangement of these songs. They end on the perfect closing track which is “Soft Parade,” and the title really speaks to the song itself. There is a significant switch from the energy of this song in comparison to the former four tracks, displaying the band’s ability to dip their toes into different tones and genres. “Soft Parade” is a rawer, stripped-down track, as opposed to the others which lean toward the heavier rock side. The last forty seconds are purely instrumental, with a guitar riff that’s accompanied by a simple drum sequence that ties the entire project together. Closing out the EP this way leaves an open-ended tone that puts forward the perfect setup for whatever project is to follow, and I find that brilliant. Though these songs are on the shorter side, they’re all accompanied by an exceptional range of instrumentals and vocals that take the listener through a compelling story, not to mention the fact that they are produced/ mixed extraordinarily.
Haymaker is a really strong work from start to finish, and The Casper Fight Scene have exhibited their growth both lyrically and sonically with this project. They’ll be taking the stage soon at Fauxchella, from October 13-15, 2023.
Haymaker is streaming now on all platforms!
