Well, they aren’t necessarily from any coast…
On Jan. 22, England’s indie pop band Coasts released their debut album “Coasts.” The album is a combination of old singles, songs off an old EP, and new songs. Although there are no real oceans to be inspired by, the band produces a sound that is appropriate for anyone traveling to an island.
Starting off with a bang, their most well known single “Oceans” is the opening track. From the get go, if you close your eyes you feel like you’re in Hawaii. David Goulbourn hits a Caribbean melody within two seconds in on the keyboard. It is very shortly followed by Liam Willford on the guitar. There is a rolling melody from the drums throughout the chorus, which soon slows down into the bridge.
Every song is upbeat in a way, but some aren’t brutally happy go lucky. The second track “You” demonstrates how a love song can be shown through harmonized guitar chords with deeper lyrics.
Most songs with such a vague pronoun in the title reflects the title, as boring, indifferent, and just too relatable. Although “You” is quite frankly an overused word, and the song itself is relatable to any young love, there’s more emotion to be heard. Within the first few lines of the song, imagery is planted in the listener’s mind. It sets a scene of a tired man rummaging through the remains of the world, or his love life, trying to hold onto something he feels is there.
The song ends and soon picks up the next track, “Wolves.” In a novel, this would be the climax, the part of the story where the companions finally accept their desire for each other and they are running away together to make sure it works out, possibly with wolves in a forest, as described in the lyrics.
Overall, the album set the bar high for what’s next for Coasts’s music. The album’s start to finish showcases a complicated relationship and how the two young lovers make it out alive after going through heartbreak and confusion, shown in “Wash Away,” and “Let Go” of everything they’ve been through. This is a solid album for those who like a love story.