The Cosmetics – “Newcomers”

The Cosmetics are back after a long time away, and they brought an absolute gem out of their vault with them. Originally starting out as a solo project by Eduardo Guerrero in Ciudad Satélite, Mexico, the group quickly grew into a full five piece band back in the mid-2000s. They earned a real reputation for blending garage rock, britpop, and alternative sounds into something incredibly raw and energetic. Now that they are officially active again, it is the perfect time to look back at the track that helped start their massive momentum.

The song is “Newcomers”, a standout track from their seven song release, “The National Flavour EP”. It has already racked up over 3 million streams on Spotify, and it takes about two seconds of listening to understand why people keep going back to it. The track captures a specific type of gritty, late night city energy. The band writes about a tough urban reality where “this city hurts you deeply” and characters are “sniffing charlie with a few quid,” chasing cheap thrills just to feel okay. It paints a vivid picture of modern disasters, fast living, and people who simply say “we’re ready to fail” and “we’re not ready to heal.”

The song pairs that cynical, heavy lyrical edge with a brilliant melodic sensibility. The vocals feel wonderfully defiant, shouting out to the “newcomers” and “cracked fuckers” while a massive, driving rhythm keeps everything moving forward. It has the swagger of classic Britpop mixed with the nervous energy of punk rock. You can easily hear how this material would completely take over a crowded room at an intimate club or get a massive festival crowd moving.

I absolutely love “Newcomers”, and it makes me incredibly happy to see this band making music together again. If you are new to their catalog, you should dig into the rest of “The National Flavour EP” to hear where this signature style came from. The Cosmetics are a phenomenal band with immense live energy, and everyone should follow them right now to see what else they have planned for the rest of this year.