Spring Break
The COAST washes cares away
Ross Leonard
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: Diversions
May 5 marks the day that Canadian indie rock band The Coast releases its debut full-length album, "Expatriate." The foursome from Ontario has been growing in popularity around Toronto for years, and Afternoon Records is finally helping them get a CD out.
The Coast tries to bring a funky style to the indie rock scene with mellow melodies that make for easy listening. A consistent flow through the entire CD allows for a full 40 minutes of uninterrupted grooving.
The instruments mostly overshadow the volume of the lyrics, which I feel is an advantage, for the lyrics are not always coherent and I found myself not bothered by the fact that I had no idea what they were talking about.
I'm not sure that these guys will catch on in the mainstream in the states, seeing that it's not a traditional type of music and I didn't find a track that screamed hit single. It reminded me a lot of Death Cab for Cutie and Jack Johnson, two bands that are good for just laying in bed with your headphones dishing out some soothing tunes.
Both the bands I referred to are bands that have somewhat of a cult following. However, I have high expectations for this group after listening to them for the first time, and I feel they will go on to make great music.
I also believe this an album that gets better the more times you listen to it. It's an album you have to give a fair chance, and to really catch on, you may need to listen two or three times. The highlight of the album is that they're not peaking on their debut, giving themselves nowhere to go as we've seen so many bands do. This group has plenty of room to prosper.
If you're looking for something to sit down and listen to after a long day and just relax, this album will treat your needs. If you have already heard of this band from its EPs, then you'll love the album. I gave the album the ultimate compliment and didn't once press the skip button.
Ross Leonard
diversions@dailybarometer.com
The Coast tries to bring a funky style to the indie rock scene with mellow melodies that make for easy listening. A consistent flow through the entire CD allows for a full 40 minutes of uninterrupted grooving.
The instruments mostly overshadow the volume of the lyrics, which I feel is an advantage, for the lyrics are not always coherent and I found myself not bothered by the fact that I had no idea what they were talking about.
I'm not sure that these guys will catch on in the mainstream in the states, seeing that it's not a traditional type of music and I didn't find a track that screamed hit single. It reminded me a lot of Death Cab for Cutie and Jack Johnson, two bands that are good for just laying in bed with your headphones dishing out some soothing tunes.
Both the bands I referred to are bands that have somewhat of a cult following. However, I have high expectations for this group after listening to them for the first time, and I feel they will go on to make great music.
I also believe this an album that gets better the more times you listen to it. It's an album you have to give a fair chance, and to really catch on, you may need to listen two or three times. The highlight of the album is that they're not peaking on their debut, giving themselves nowhere to go as we've seen so many bands do. This group has plenty of room to prosper.
If you're looking for something to sit down and listen to after a long day and just relax, this album will treat your needs. If you have already heard of this band from its EPs, then you'll love the album. I gave the album the ultimate compliment and didn't once press the skip button.
Ross Leonard
diversions@dailybarometer.com
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