It's one of those rare times where you find a name in two seemingly unconnected places and you figure that there must be something special about them if they're making songs with two of your favourite bands. I first heard of Josh Scogin with his feature on a Bring Me The Horizon song, and then a few years later I saw his current band '68 show up as a feature on an Every Time I Die song, and the moment when I opened up the Wikipedia page to find that Josh Scogin was the vocalist, that was when I decided I needed to know what they had.
I say that, and then I didn't actually listen to any of their existing albums. Oops. But I did end up stumbling upon their ongoing album cycle for Yes, and..., and I caught this song in particular a day after it dropped. I missed the first two promotional singles, but honestly I think it's for the better. This song is my favourite of the singles (and maybe even the whole album), and I might not have been interested to listen to the album if one of the other singles was my first impression.
In hindsight, I can safely say that Removed Their Hats is one of the weirder and more chaotic cuts on the album. It's where the push the label of noise rock the furthest, making some very unique and distinct songwriting choices that makes this song stand out on an album that already stands out quite a lot in my library.
I got hit with a sudden understanding that I was in for a very different ride the moment the first line started. That vocal tone, the gritty riffing, ohmygod that snare roll is genius, the sardonic lyrics, it's somehow perfectly chaotic. I suddenly get why they were a guest for Every Time I Die, they are the same in spirit. I don't know if I can call it a chorus, but this refrain repeats again with slightly different instrumentation and lyrics, and we see some variation in the chaos. That slightly flat harmony, that falsetto note at the end, so different that it feels like a completely different section.
After that is where it starts to get real wonky. They start throwing in hearty amounts of time signature changes for this super cheeky but somehow tasteful instrumental section, one that sees the guitar let its voice out while the drums pull off some sneaky killer stuff. And then out of nowhere, the drums go near silent and the guitar just takes the stage with this unorthodox playing that is so stylistic and full of character, a solo display of free-range artistry that feels so right despite standing alone. This was when I knew there was truly something special about '68.
I don't have too much to add about the last refrain, but I just want to comment in general, how much I love his vocals here. I love how freely he's able to switch from technique to technique, but more importantly, how interestingly he decides when to do it. There's such a unique flare of recklessness and confidence that comes through in the way that he sounds like he's just winging it, yet it sounds amazing.
This song is such a smart showcase of how fluent they are in the noise rock of the own style. Their sequencing of motifs is smart, the flow of intensity is on point and the fun is undoubtedly all there. The album may be a very solid display of their ability across the board, but this single stands out as one that is full of merit all on its own. It definitely scratches that chaos itch for sure.
Rating: 4.5/5