Lackadaisical in the most wonderful of ways, but certainly not lacking in feeling. This week’s Synchedin Spotlight is the laid back yet angular Chartreuse by S.C.A.B!

Sean, Cory, Alec, and Brandon, aka S.C.A.B, peg themselves as “honestly just another band from NYC”. Rather understated, and pretty cool, we think they’re a band to get excited about. Their debut album Beauty & Balance was released in 2020, and is half an hour of moreish pop-infused post-punk.

Chartreuse by S.C.A.B is an expert blend of contemplative angst and effortless coolness. A baggy kick drum counts in, letting us know we’re in for a stylistically lo-fi treat. Slacker rock staple fare, reverb and vibrato laden guitars layer up, creating a dreamy harmonic bed for the track. Slippery melodies and jangly chords sit beneath Sean’s charismatic yet listless vocals.

We slide easily through Chartreuse, with drums remaining simplistic and the bass largely absent at first in the verse. However, the straight, descending bassline rejoins the mix as the gears shift, and we head into the chorus.

Splashy cymbals and fuzzy chords drive the chorus, with the lyrics complaining, “it feels like I’ve been chewed up and spit out”, in true post-punk discontent. We chug through the chorus before being dropped into a dreamy reprieve.

Once the track reaches the second chorus, the layers begin to build along with the energy. Chartreuse ends with heavily pounded drums and a lead guitar that slips its way to the fore. The almost frantic twang of strings echoing the vocals in a sense of “worn-down and losing it” energy reflected in the repeated lyrics, “leave me alone”.

It’s these strings that close the track, but they return to their twinkly, fuzzy dreaminess that gives Chartreuse by S.C.A.B its initial charm.

Keep up with S.C.A.B by following them on Instagram, Facebook, and check out their album on Apple Music.