I’m currently listening to Covent’s Under the Changed Sun in a much-too-quiet library in Medford, Massachusetts. It is taking all of my self-control not to yank the headphone cord out from my computer, hold the laptop up high, and blast this record at full volume for all to hear. I am certain the sound would penetrate through the library walls and echo throughout not just the city of Medford, not just the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and not within the confines of the United States of America, but all around the world, and finally back to Leeds, the city from which Covent originates.
Covent has been around for just over a decade, building up their following bit by bit and refining their sound of shoegaze, Midwestern emo, and post-grunge over the years. On Under the Changed Sun, they showcase the result of their hard work: Echoing guitars, well-placed feedback and distortion, thundering drums, and driving bass. The instrumentation has a cohesion that highlights the bright spots and bellows from the dark. The album’s ten tracks give off the kind of atmosphere many shoegaze or shoegaze-adjacent bands strive for.
Under the Changed Sun is a result of several years of work from David Lees (vox/guitar), Oliver Hunt (drums), and Liam Sherwood (bass), with songs like “Cry” and “Submerge” forming the genesis of the album during COVID. While the album’s sound seems much bigger than what a trio could accomplish, it is a testament to the experience of the band’s skills on the stage. The members grew up as part of many different bands, honing their chops in crafting big soundscapes to blow minds and roofs off of venues. As Covent, they’ve ramped up their skills and sound, and over the past several years have released singles that try hard to capture their live energy.
It therefore seems strange to call Under the Changed Sun the band’s “debut” album, even if it is in fact their first LP. But it is certainly a hell of a collection, one which shows not only the band’s ability to write killer songs, but structure them so that they flow from one to the next. Covent worked closely with Leeds-based producer Bob Cooper to capture and refine the recorded essence of the band, engineering each track so that the ten of them made up one piece of art instead of just individual singles in sequence.
Covent thrived before in garages, bedrooms, and darkened clubs, but transferring their musical prowess into a recorded form was no problem. The music was already there; it just needed the extra shine of the studio. Little musical details shimmer, such as the vocal harmonies that explode on the lead track “Safe”: Every different part stands out as its own voice, but they all combine into a tight-knit chorus. The slight increase in tempo toward the end of “Lay Low” – with its arpeggiated synth and shifting guitar tones ever-so-subtle in the background – gives the already energetic song a little boost to pump the blood.
On the record, Lees says: “I’ve always been a massive lover of records, especially ones that flow from track to track and don’t let you sit still.” Under the Changed Sun certainly commands that you let it move you, just as you would move in a club listening to the band live. On a personal note, I appreciate bands that start out with many years playing on stage before making the transition to recorded music. It helps to workshop the songs, get the energy up, and feel out how audiences respond to certain performance elements. Covent have taken their time to do all of the above, and Under the Changed Sun is a wonderful result of that method.
And while I am certain this quiet library would not make for a good venue for Covent’s music, I certainly hope they’ll come across the pond at some point to perform in a place more suited for their brand of shoegaze. Having heard how the recorded version of their songs sound, I simply must hear it live.
Take a listen to “Lay Low” from Under the Changed Sun below.
Written by Will Sisskind
