Coming off of their 2023 album This Is Crime Wave, Codefendants have been at the forefront of a movement combining hip-hop with the tenets of hardcore, reggae, and skate punk. “Lonely Life” emphasizes this change, with this single song featuring rap breakdowns, drum and bass through lines that drip with technical skill. Drawing similariities to the British group Yard Act, their style continues to evolve with their new release, LIFERS.
Starting with some soulful sensitive piano as most hardcore albums are bound to do, the album pings between soundscapes with ease. “Lonely Life” brings a melancholic yearning for connection over tightly wound hardcore beats, “The Fix” a yearning for a dutiful replacement to a deep need over ska-punk chords. Many of the songs on this album are about needs; the need for connection, the need of addiction, the need for love, the need for escape.
The refrain of failure is repeated song upon song, each giving a slightly different sound to the need for change. Like This Is Crime Wave, Cdefendants merge a sound rooted in the outsider experience with the yearning for the world to change. “Lifers” takes this idea and expands on it, a sound reminiscent of “13 Stitches” blended with beautiful care to create an album worthy of a self-titled release.