Goldcoast is the new solo endeavor by Loyalty to Me’s Devin McGuire. If you happened to read my post on Loyalty to Me, you know how much I love this band and their members. I was so excited to listen when Devin told me he was goin on a solo endeavor. Goldcoast is not only a musical project, though. Goldcoast represents a fictional place where everyone remains young forever, and the songs reflect that with a twist on some nostalgic sounds.
The first song on the EP, Freedom Fever, is truly something special. I think Devin made the right choice making it the first track and lead single, but I think it would also work equally well as a closer. When the song started, I didn’t really know how to feel. Since I didn’t know anything about the release going into it, I was really trying to figure out what I was listening to. I know that sounds mean, but I promise you I was singing and dancing around my room by the time the first chorus hit. The song is catchier than the common cold and is just so uplifting you can’t help but smile. The mix is also immaculate. The song is reminiscent to my first time listening to Mayday Parade as a kid; like Three Cheers Mayday, not Miserable at Best Mayday lol. I hope this is a feeling all of you know well, otherwise I feel sorry for you. The most important feature of Freedom Fever, however, is the guitar solo. I don’t know what to even say about it other than “holy shit!” Freedom Fever is followed by Twenty Dollar Bill. The song starts off with a cool little percussion that I don’t know how to describe because I’m a fake musician. It sounds so cool though! It’s like if Paper Planes by MIA started listening to All Time Low. This song is also so catchy and fun with big production. My only complaint is that the song is just far too short. The subject matter is pretty negative, but the song sounds so uplifting that you wouldn’t even notice. It’s one of those songs you can cry and dance to, no matter your mood. The next song is the speedy, Losing Grip. The song is a bit more aggressive than the other songs, but not in a way that would turn off the listeners who are more interested in pop. There is a bit of tasteful auto-tune in the backing vocals, which you may know is my favorite thing ever. The song shows some real anger, which is a nice side to see from McGuire. There is a line in the song, which talks about OnlyFans that caught me off guard, as someone who is a strong advocate for supporting sex workers. After a few more listens, though, I realized the line wasn’t talking down OnlyFans models at all, which made me very happy. I felt I needed to include that tidbit to encourage anyone who made the same mistake to take another listen. I would hate for something so silly to be the reason you’re turned off from such a great record. Tough Luck’s closer, Passenger Seat, is reminiscent of what I loved about Transit and The Wonder Years when I was in high school. It’s acoustic, but definitely will not put you to sleep. It tells a story and is written as if Devin is talking straight to you. I could imagine the scene as I sat there and listened to the lyrics. It’s the perfect winter song to listen to as you’re wrapped up in blankets watching the snow fall. The annoying thing, however, is it’s so short! The song is so relaxing, beautiful, and heartbreaking that I could sit here and listen to it for ten minutes, but it’s only a minute and 22 seconds long. I understand why he chose to close with this one, and not Freedom Fever, though. Overall, Tough Luck is something to look forward to. Freedom Fever is definitely the stand out track for me, but I encourage each and every one of you to give the whole EP a listen. Keep you eyes peeled for Tough Luck this Friday, October 30th as well a merch drop soon!
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South Jersey pop/rock/indie/whatever you want to call them outfit, Afloat, are finally back with a new single, Moody. This is the first follow up to last year’s Never Me Always You and 2018’s Afloat. I personally preferred the band’s self-titled EP to Never Me Always You, but I knew the band said that they were looking to different genres for inspiration, so I was very excited to see what they would come up with.
The song starts off with a cool guitar riff with a nice indie sound to it. There is something Title Fight to it, even though Title Fight fans may argue that no band could ever be like Title Fight. Although none of Afloat’s previous releases were bad, Moody definitely shows the bands’ growth, both technically and creatively. Singer, Gabby Relos’ voice really cuts through in a way it hasn’t before and bassist Josh Rubeo did a wonderful job with the mix. Moody also features guest vocals from Ryan Cullen, formally of the band Drive Theory. His voice sounds amazing on the song and adds depth to the performance. I just wish that his verse was longer! Overall, Moody is an extremely well written song that Afloat should be quite proud of. It really encapsulates how it feels to be, well, moody! There is a nice feel to the instrumentation and the song moves rather quickly. The song definitely feels shorter than it is, but I am a strong believer in not dragging out a song if what’s needed to be said is said. Moody comes out on all streaming platforms on October 30th, and you can catch the band play it live for the first time on their Twitch stream, featuring Cheyenne Dan and Lowercase People. I’m tuning in and so should you! |
Kay RomanKay Roman is a 22 year old DIY pop musician Archives
December 2020
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