cootie catcher, Something We All Got
On Something We All Got, cootie catcher channel primitive and direct (and weirdly wholesome) tones in between plundered textures and pitch-twisted, weaving melodies. The Canadian indie act follows a high point from their sophomore album; Shy at First was a wholesome, warm and yet still honest collection of bedroom pop drawings. And on their latest they really stick the landing.
A definite highlight here is "Gingham dress", which sees the band surfing punchier, uptempo math rock-y drums while lyrically exploring a doomed relationship (“When you go to work I rest, Pseudo-wife I tried my best, convalescence next”). It stands out from more of the more synth-heavy constructions that hold up the rest of the album, and frankly wouldn’t be out of place in certain twee circuits 10 or 20 years ago. It comes across as more of a direct tribute to the group’s core influences than a parody.
An interesting newer aspect of cootie catcher’s style visible on this project is a comfortability with some of the more atonal dimensions to their songs. There are stretches, like "Rhymes with rest", "Take me for granted" or "Quarter note rock", that are tinged with a kind of lonely but expansive register in vocalists Sophia Chavez and Anita Fowl. Occasionally this hits notes that reflect Broadcast or Atlas Sound’s cruisable unease, and it makes Something We All Got a definite textural shift from the band’s sophomore and freshman projects.
The remarkable internal synchronicity this band has is underlined in a few key areas, like the tumbling (and slightly resigned) harmony on "Wrong choice" or the vulnerable tri-part unity on forward single "Puzzle pop", which is strategically stuttered, pixelated and reversed to reflect a genuine new direction.
There’s no real low mark visible here - these are all compact, well-paced movements towards an ultimately unclear narrative but a narrative that’s greatly enjoyable to inhabit nonetheless. The increased embrace of the alternatingly expansive and solitary alongside more complicated riffs and layered production styles mean cootie catcher are visibly growing as a band as the decade progresses. And that’s a great thing to see.
cootie catcher on tour in Atlanta (Photos: Sam Kapoor)
cootie catcher's latest album 'Something We All Got' was released February 27th 2026 via Carpark Records
