Cosmorat is the brainchild of Taylor Pollock and Olly Liu, whose paths serendipitously intertwined during their college years. Their stunning debut EP, “Evil Adjacent,” is a remarkable, mesmerising compilation of genre-traversing tracks exploring themes ranging from toxic relationships to social anxieties and the complexities of unrequited love.
Pollock describes the EP as “akin to walking alongside a high school acquaintance who spent three years in jail for stealing catalytic converters from the local VFW parking lot. This EP embodies an American Fever Dream, with much of it penned in a secluded cabin or basement. The aim was to capture the essence of growing up in a crumbling world and to shed light on the reality that tragedy is just a step or two away.”
The stunning single “something in the rain”(lower case) showcases the band’s cinematic expansive sound. It blends warm, heartfelt soundscapes with bursts of euphoria and explores Pollock’s own struggles where she relied on substances to cope with her inner turmoil and difficulty navigating social interactions. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the difficulty of finding peace in a world that feels relentlessly harsh, all while desperately desiring genuine connections with others as she explains, “just existing comfortably and being able to afford rent feels so unfair compared to most of the world. I try to feel grateful, but I just feel guilty.”
“I used to have a habit of going to social events and chugging drinks, getting drunk really fast, then feeling embarrassed about how drunk I was. In retrospect, it was a way to cope with my internal anxieties in public settings. I am so desperate for human connection, but have no idea how to relate to people sometimes. Olly and I spent much caffeine-laced nights in the studio layering keys, percussion, cymbals, and any other sounds on the drum kit as well as screaming vocals down a corridor multiple times trying to emulate the experience of falling all around while intoxicated. “‘Something in the Rain’, as the focus track, perfectly sums up the burnout of trying to justify your actions and associations. It is one of my favorite tracks I’ve ever written, and I feel like it really ties together the idea of trying to live with yourself while everything else seems like it’s going to shit.”
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