Koyo have returned with their sophomore album Barely Here, out now via Pure Noise Records, and this one wastes absolutely no time getting straight to the point.
Ten songs. Twenty eight minutes. No overblown padding. No trying to reinvent the wheel just for the sake of it. Barely Here is Koyo sharpening everything that already made them hit so hard and pushing it forward with more confidence, more hooks, and that full force emotional punch that has made them one of the most exciting names in modern punk, emo and hardcore.
The Long Island crew have also dropped the music video for the title track Barely Here, giving fans another piece of the album to dive into now that the full record is out in the world.
Following on from their acclaimed debut full length Would You Miss It?, Koyo sound like a band who know exactly who they are on this new album. There is still that unmistakable Long Island DNA running through it. You can feel the fire and urgency of bands like The Movielife, the massive emotional hooks that sit in the world of Taking Back Sunday, and the grit and drive of Silent Majority, but more than anything, Barely Here sounds like Koyo becoming even more themselves.
That is the real power of this record. It does not feel like a band trying to force a giant second album moment. It feels like a band cutting away the excess and locking in on what they do best. Big choruses. Honest lyrics. Urgent guitars. Punk energy. Hardcore backbone. Emo melody. All of it packed into a record that moves fast but still leaves a mark.
Vocalist Joseph Chiaramonte has spoken about the band wanting to refine their strengths rather than take some massive left turn, and you can hear that approach all over the album. Barely Here is direct, emotionally charged and instinctive. It feels like the sound of a band that has lived through the grind, learned from the chaos, and come out the other side tighter and more self aware.
The album was produced, engineered and mixed by longtime collaborator Jon Markson, known for his work with Drug Church, Drain and The Story So Far, and that connection clearly works. The record has that clean punch and livewire energy that lets every chorus land while still keeping the grit in the guitars and the urgency in the drums.
There are also a couple of killer guest moments across the album. Saying Vs Meaning features Sammy Ciaramitaro of Drain, adding even more fire to one of the album’s most explosive cuts, while Oxidize brings in Marisa Shirar of Fleshwater, giving the record one of its most emotionally heavy and memorable moments.
Lyrically, Barely Here digs into the weird headspace that comes with life on the road, being pulled away from home, trying to process change, and still finding reasons to keep moving. Koyo have toured relentlessly since their debut, and that sense of motion, exhaustion, gratitude and frustration runs right through the record.
Tracks like Barely Here and Jet Stream Wish kick the door open with adrenaline and melody, while songs like You Hate Me, What I’m Worth and Pace and Loiter show the emotional weight sitting underneath all the urgency. There is a real honesty in this album. It does not pretend everything is easy. It sounds like a band admitting the pressure is real, then turning it into something loud enough to survive it.
That balance is what makes Koyo such a powerful band. They can hit with hardcore force, lean into huge punk hooks, and still make the songs feel deeply personal. Barely Here is packed with that kind of energy. It is short, sharp and full of heart, but it also feels built to explode live.
With the album out now, Koyo are set to keep the momentum rolling with more relentless touring, including North American runs with Hot Mulligan and Joyce Manor, a Japanese tour, and appearances at Sound & Fury and Louder Than Life.
For longtime fans, Barely Here feels like the next natural step. For newcomers, it is a perfect entry point. It captures Koyo in their most focused form yet, a band not chasing trends or trying to be anything they are not. Just five people playing with fire, heart and full belief in what they are doing.
Barely Here is out now via Pure Noise Records.
Listen and order here:
https://purenoiserecs.lnk.to/Koyo
Koyo–vocalist Joseph Chiaramonte, guitarists Harold Griffin and TJ Rotolico, bassist Stephen Spanos, and drummer Salvatore Argento
