If the name didn’t already pin them to a certain era, you could easily imagine The Covids (Amsterdam) four decades earlier, opening for UK punk’s heavy hitters. But while the pandemic has faded into the background, The Covids are still here, and on their second album Pay No Mind (out now on Wap Shoo Wap Records), they sound like a band with renewed ambition and a bigger toolkit.

As on their debut, they don’t settle for just being loud and obnoxious. There’s melody in the mix — harmonies, gang vocals, little details that stick. Take Station, a patient, hook-filled highlight with a sweet chord progression, a tasteful instrumental bridge, sharp guitar work, and a chorus so good you’d expect the band to milk it dry. Instead, they bring it back only once, layered with honeyed harmonies. It’s proof of a confident band writing with as much finesse as firepower — and it might just be their best song yet.

The Covids, part II: if you liked the first record, you’ll like this one even more. It’s the sound of a band tightening the screws and finding new gears—louder when it needs to be, sweeter when it wants to be.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp