CLOSET GOTH

Closet Goth is an Arizona band, well, a person, Col Bauer, who lives & makes music in Arizona. They spent years crafting albums at home, groups of wonderfully written songs blending post punk, hardcore, dance, and pop music. Akin to some of their favorite bands--Pissed Jeans, Against Me!, and Good Throb--and using whatever chord Yali Bitan taught them that prior summer, Bauer came up with a collection of songs they knew deserved more than the recording treatment that was afforded to them.

After spending a few days at the legendary studio Audioconfusion, where artists such as AJJ, Diners, and Dogbreth have recorded some of Arizona’s favorite records, Bauer had a collection of songs that ended up being Friendship Village.

These are songs that you could compare the energy more easily to that of a wrestling promo: loud, energetic, ready to suplex you when given the chance. But you know that Col wouldn’t do that. Col likes you too much. Col loves their friends too much to ever do that. With lyrics like “Love song for my friends, love song for my buds,” and “The sadness I feel is just the absence of you,” Col really loves their friends. Col cares.

Closet Goth is the name, and loud energetic music is the game. You might not think the heart can come through on such a loud record, but it still comes through clean. You still feel everything Col is trying to convey in every song. Friendship Village is a record that will still feel as fresh at it did the first time you heard it.