Quicksand Channel Classic Hardcore Urgency on ‘Bring on the Psychics’

Quicksand’s first two albums, Slip and Manic Compression, remain post-hardcore landmarks. Their 2017 return Interiors and 2021’s Distant Populations, while solid, often leaned toward the mid-tempo churn of “Fazer” without its snap. The band seemed to be settling.

Bring on the Psychics upends that. The record is a blast of upbeat, throwback posi-core, with no patience for malaise. Opener “Get to It” erupts with a message to move forward now—lyrics that deliberately echo Gorilla Biscuits’ “Start Today” and Quicksand’s own early urgency. “The days go by so fast,” Walter Schreifels sings, and the riffs don’t argue.

Producer John Markson (Drug Church, Drain, GEL) keeps things unadorned and heavy. The chugging “Cool Guy” targets people who drain time, while “In Full Color” works a mid-tempo groove that hits like a slow fist. The band also stretches: “Crystallize” and “Supercollider” are among their catchiest moments, and the nearly six-minute “Days You Run To” pulls the tempo further back. A late surprise, “Moving Forward,” rides an almost poppy, driving riff, and the title track bends familiar sounds into something less expected.

No pale nostalgia trip, Bring on the Psychics crackles with the kind of purpose that made the early records necessary. Quicksand still stand where many peers have faded. Smart, upbeat lyrics and chugging riffs, it turns out, never really go out of style.