Coastgaard – Coastgaard

Artist: Coastgaard
Album Title: Coastgaard
Released: April 5, 2013
Label: Unsigned
Website: coastgaard.com

Coastgaard, a relatively new band based out of Brooklyn,  has produced a great debut album that more people need  to get a hold of.  The band, made up of four members, has been influenced by The Beach Boys, Bowie, The Ventures and Cream.  The self-titled album has a great summery, beachy vibe that works as a great pick-me up if you’re having a bad day.

The album starts off with the catchy song, “Kings,” which will make you feel as if you should get in your car and drive yourself to the nearest beach you can.  With the enjoyable beat, you will find yourself nodding your head to the music without even thinking about it. The lyrics make it apparent that these guys are serious about the beach and the song with a Best Coast-like sound to it conveys those feelings very well.  The next song “How Long” slows down the tempo a little and brings forth a more somber feel with the lyrics being more on the gloomy side.   Although it is more somber, there is something about Matt Miller’s voice that makes listening to any song, upbeat or slow, a really enjoyable experience. Even though there are only two songs that are slower in tempo, “80’s Houses and “Tidal Wave”, it does flow well with the rest of the album and although the change of tone is definitely there, it bonds very well.  “Tidal Wave” is the last song on the album which was a good choice because since it slows it down, it brings it to a nice end.  The band keeps the beachy theme going with several of their songs including “Ocean Blue” and “Kings”.  One great thing about this album is that I found myself singing songs that I had only heard one time  because they were  just that catchy and memorable. After giving it a second listen, I realized that a lot of the tracks have that same quality especially my personal favorite, “Switchblade Coast”.  “Switchblade Coast” is one of those songs that you can start singing the along after only one or two listens. Overall, this is a great listen and I’m surprised that I hadn’t heard of these guys sooner. This will certainly be the soundtrack to my summer.

Reviewed by Claudia Escobar