Thanks to their displayed vulnerability and powerful impact, the first EP from the Parisian band Coal Noir, Worthy, is more than promising! Review.
WORTHY – COAL NOIR
Exterior night. A quartet with influences as post-punk as they are hard-rock forms in the streets of Paris. Coal Noir presents itself with Worthy and that’s quite fitting. The band deserves to be discovered by those who have ever questioned their own worth, those who’ve had moments of doubt, sorrow, and pain, and who were able to see the humour in it. Because that’s the music of Coal Noir: a grunge cinematic moment rooted in the reality of everyday life. It’s the desire to send everything to hell and head to Mars, to overturn the established order, but not knowing how to do it. All of this is driven by aggressive riffs and melodies somewhere between punk and hard rock.
It begins with Blind Me, with a muffled drum followed by a very brit-rock rhythm. Its opening line sets the tone: fatigue is real, but it won’t stop creation. Léa, James, Margaux, and Chana navigate through heartbreak, imposter syndrome, and everyday misogyny. And together, they do it with grunge class, their vulnerability, and their strength. On Nova, we find hypnotic lines that balance this feeling. Once again, it’s a story of contrast, but again, it’s what speaks to me. Especially when, like here, it’s beautifully executed with sincerity and technique.
Who Can Say? (Session Bruit d’Avril) brings a vintage sharpness in the treatment of the vocals that perfectly matches its raw, assertive energy. Finally, Coal Noir closes this first EP with Worthy, the title track. The message is clear. While the other tracks carried traces of anxiety and melancholy, this one shakes it off to make way for a burning fire of motivation. Yes, Coal Noir can crush everything in its path! And this EP is just the first stone in their story.
