The Sophs - GOLDSTAR

Alternative – Released March 13, 2026 – 10 songs, 37 mins

ROZ

This week, TSR steers away from the mainstream and heads back down into the relatively unknown once again – The Sophs. A six-piece indie rock outfit based out of Los Angeles and formed back in 2023, the band is comprised of bandmates Ethan Ramon (vocals), Sam Yuh (keyboards), Austin Parker Jones (electric guitar), Seth Smades (acoustic guitar), Cole Bobbitt (bass), and Devin Russ (drums). For their 2026 debut studio effort GOLDSTAR, The Sophs don’t just open the door – they kick the damn door clear off its hinges. When it comes to music, there aren’t many things as exciting as spinning a new album from a new band and getting that first pure experience with their sound, and with The Sophs there is plenty of dark, grisly excitement to be had.

In the heartbreaking, soul crushing world that is the music industry, getting your band signed to a record label is impossible at worst and near-impossible at best. Record labels see hundreds if not thousands (hell maybe even tens of thousands) of submissions from clear-eyed, bushy tailed artists who are primed to have their dreams crushed before their eyes through rejection or, even worse, apathetic, hand waved indifference – a fate that could be deemed even worse than the former. It is this harsh reality that makes the story of The Sophs that much more incredible, as not only did lead singer Ethan Ramon not submit the band's demo tape to their (now) label, Rough Trade Records A&R, he literally sent the demo to the CEO of the entire company. The crazy part? His stunt worked and he received a call almost immediately from the big boss himself. Ramon needs to start teaching a class – Shooting Your Shot 101. Hell, I’d sign up.

So, what was it that made The Sophs so enticing for the upper echelon of a label that had signed the likes of The Strokes, Pulp, and Parquet Courts? Look no further than the genre-defying, skull-splitting GOLDSTAR. Chock full of highly intertwined soundscapes and biting lyricism that would make anyone do a double take, The Sophs omit a unique style of chaos and nihilism that simply cannot be denied. Folk-style instrumentation blends with a heavy rock chorus across THE DOG DIES IN THE END – a song name that you would think is tongue in cheek, but no; Ramon really is daydreaming about the death of his neighbor’s dog. This macabre songwriting style serves as the uncomfortable bridge that carries you across the albums 37-minute run time, where punches are rarely (if ever) pulled. For crying out loud, there’s a song titled DEATH IN THE FAMILY where Ramon meditates over how close personal loss would benefit him greatly. Much like the rest of the track listing, these burning lyrics get cooled off with a rinsing of stellar instrumentation and performances across the board, and the disgust quickly dissipates into fervent head nodding – a testament to the quality of musicality on display.

While one could consider the vibe of this band as being ‘edgy for the sake of it’, I would personally disagree. GOLDSTAR is the echoing of a society that is troubled, a society that is lost. It is uncomfortable as an escape rather than as an act of malice. The Sophs do not care about your feelings and do not care if they piss you off, which I believe is their biggest strength above all. I have no doubt that even as their streaming numbers grow and their followers exponentially increase, they will continue to act in their own self interest and be unabashedly themselves. GOLDSTAR is a provocative piece, one which is held in place by a mesh of sound that skillfully masks the unadulterated content that lies underneath. With this debut, The Sophs start their reign of terror at a fiery pace that can only be matched by the raw talent that each of the six members possess.

Overall Rating: 8.0/10

Favourite Song: BLITZED

LUNDI

Replayability has been a hot topic within the TSR circle these days. Every situation is different but when an artist’s musical expressions are blunt and uncomfortable to the point their thoughts claw at your own morality, can that output truly ever be great? The harsh truth is I don’t think they can. But some albums deserve to be made with emotions that are meant to be expressed. The Sophs debut album GOLDSTAR fits into that territory. It’s overwhelmingly dark and twisted, but also strangely beautiful. 

There is so much power in releasing your thoughts. Even to the degree of writing this blog, the creative outlet has been a wonder for my mental health. Now times that feeling tenfold and enter Ethan Ramon and his friction filled group of friends, together they have crafted perhaps the most brutally honest and intrusive thoughts I’ve ever heard on a record, paired with a maddening variety of musical arrangements that mimic the complicated nature of tortured minds. 

‘I fear I’m not a sympathetic person’ Ramon croons just a track after begging for a death in his family to avoid the plague of accountability. That fear is reality my friend, a purge of dark thoughts that circle sure, but this very same tortured soul will partake in drug filled binges while ordering a hot toddy to avoid the common cold. This is by all accounts not at all a normal human nor expected display of lyricism. There is little to no metaphorical language, it is just open honest speak before you think lines one after the other. His bandmates tend to ask ‘did you survive?’ over a more diplomatic ‘are you okay?’ as if they understand fully he’s teetering on the edge at all times. 

The album is a public display of an artist wrestling with their internal monologue. You can be moral enough to know the death of certain powers at be would benefit the world while you yourself are far down the line of human decency. The sickness of that mental health is poignantly framed so that the listener ultimately becomes sympathetic towards someone so openly advising the masses he is an awful person. The album credits are unclear, so perhaps some of that torture is scattered across the six but they find this amazing way to be jagged and forceful despite spanning many different pop and rock genres. In every way imaginable this album keeps you firmly on your toes. 

Unfortunately the albums biggest pros are also in the end its memorable cons. GOLDSTAR is never annoying or preachy, but it’s heavy and jarring, particularly for anyone in the vein of focusing on lyrical content. It’s more like a depressing or haunting movie that grips you in a way that can only be handled periodically than any sort of normal record. But there in lies the beauty of it all as that may just be the point. 

Call me old fashioned, but in the grand scheme of music an album needs to be replayable to at least some degree to be considered amongst the best. The Sophs test that boundary on their debut with the most truthful display of inner monologue ever put to music. Pulling zero punches GOLDSTAR is thrilling and extremely uncomfortable. 

Overall Rating: 7.8/10

Favourite Song: They Told Me Jump, I Said How High 

REID

2026 is rolling right along and we were treated to a strong first quarter of music. This is already TSR’s sixth written review of the year, we have two more in the queue and our selection standards have been raised due to the quantity of intriguing releases. Having too much good shit to talk about is a great problem for a music blog to have. With that said, let’s dig into the debut release from LA outfit, The Sophs and how they evoked a series of reminders from yours truly.

First off is professional wrestling. (Bear with me here). In wrestling, Webster’s Dictionary defines a heel as ‘a wrestler who performs the role of the unsympathetic antagonist or adversary in a staged wrestling match’. In other words, the bad guy. The main job of a heel is to make the crowd hate you as much as possible to prop up the good guyand that can be accomplished in a variety of ways. One of the more popular avenues to get there is addressing the audience with the most hateful rhetoric you can think of. It’s common for the bad guy to walk to the ring to a series of boos with a cocky smirk and comment on the ineptitude of the local sports team. Or maybe they say your city is ugly, your food sucks or you’re lucky to be in their presence. The best heels really rub you the wrong way, capture your attention and make you want to see them fail. Well, the frontman of The Sophs establishes himself as a premiere music heel immediately with the opening song as he expresses a deep, morbid desire for the death of a neighbour’s dog. Not sure what else to say other than a big ‘f*ck you, bud’. Ethan Ramon doesn’t stop there with the shocking lyrics. Another can’t-look-away moment comes from single, DEATH IN THE FAMILY, where he proclaims he needs a death to shift his familial narrative rather than deal with his problems head on. This combination of doom is both cruel and ingenious. He is playing the heel role to perfection. You should be willing to do just about anything to get people talking as a debut rock band and titling the opening track THE DOG DIES IN THE END definitely drew the ire of TSR.

(Fun fact: The unofficial slogan of TSR originated from one of the greatest heels of all time in professional wrestling. ‘Hard work pays off, dreams come true. Bad times don’t last but bad guys do. – Razor Ramon)

The next memory dates back to junior high school when a friend of mine purchased a juice harp. Helen Nelson is her name and she carried that thing everywhere. It’s not the first time we’ve heard this instrument since we started TSR but it’s so important to the sound of SWEETIEPIE, it brought me back to that period in my life. This little device symbolizes the folk-influence permeating throughout a record led by distorted guitars. 

The final pair of reminders are direct song comparisons. On May 12, 2022, TSR did a follower request review of WHEN WE WERE FRIENDS by The Backseat Lovers. It’s a breakup album by a foursome from Utah that’s similar to HOUSE in that it’s singalong worthy indie rock masking a deeper, emotional message. Lastly we have They Told Me Jump, I Said How High which immediately rewound the clock to George Thorogood’s One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer. The long, drawn out instrumental intro paired with storytelling is a fun throwback to that era of music. The only artist I can think of that does anything like it today is Jack White who regularly tells stories in this fashion.

Despite all the positives of a record I’ll keep in rotation, I struggle to identify what stands out for this band. They’re excellent musicians but I get a jack of all trades, master of none feeling from them. At no point did I feel I was listening to something unique. Being the bad guy will only get you so far in the music world.

The Sophs hit the ground running on their debut album with jaw-dropping lyrics to accentuate their indie rock soundscapes. The key for them moving forward will be continuing to find ways to differentiate themselves in a competitive genre.

Overall Rating: SWEAT

Favourite Song: 7.5/10