I was having breakfast with my cousins a few weeks ago, and of all my 100+ cousins, Jeff is the only one that bonds with me on music. We talked about this and that, and much to my dismay, he thought that good music releases were slim to none in recent years. I must have looked at him like he said he was going to become a Republican, because he quickly admitted that in fact he hadn’t really kept up with new music much. This was the guy that introduced me to the White Stripes when they were considered a local band out of Detroit. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
I promptly took him to Twist and Shout and set him up with at least 10 or 12 albums from 2007 and this year, which I thought would do him for at least the next week.
Had The Coast had their new album available at that time, I would have eagerly added Expatriate to the stack. Each song is soaked with those fresh and glorious guitar lines that resemble an aural version of twinkling light on a lake at dusk. The moods bounce from lively, trampoline joy rides (“Floodlight,” “Tightrope,”), then shift into second gear with more emphasis on melody and organic structure (“We’ve Been Killing Off Our Friends,” “The Moon Is Dead”) and then down to a slow dive of introspective travel (“Song For Gypsy Rose Lee,” “All The Boys”).
Considered to be “Canada’s Best Kept Secret,” The Coast, which is comprised of Benjamin Spurr (vocals/guitar), brothers Jordan Melchiorre (drums) and Luke Melchiorre (bass), and Ian Fosbery (guitar/keyboards), the latter of which adds the compelling spark of tenacity on “Nueva York,” one of my favorite tracks.
Whether purposely or ironically in respect to the band’s name, this is music made for ocean drives, for blasting on your yacht on the weekends, or from the megawatt speakers in your humble Malibu beach house. Even if you don’t have a millionaire’s income or easy access to the coast, Expatriate offers up a treasure trove of musical abundance at every corner.
Having toured with some big leaguers such as Elbow, Duke Spirit, Island, French Kicks, Tokyo Police Club, they’ll be heading out again in the Fall with TPC, along with Born Ruffians and Denver’s Dressy Bessy. This Tuesday, August 19 they’ll be here at Hi-Dive performing with Hello Kavita, Chris Koza, Eleanor.
Expatriate hits the streets Tuesday, August 19 on Aporia.
