Their resplendent approach is immediately noticeable throughout the immaculate buildup of the opening track “She Looked Like Me” with relaxing, pulsating synths that build up to explosive horns in the middle of the epic song. Despite making more grandiose musical choices, they still haven’t lost the catchy melodies and bridges that have always laid at the core of their music. This is best exemplified on “Death & Romance”, which might go down as the best pop song of the decade. The bright keys and catchy hook of this track centered around themes of eternal love is close to perfection with its psychedelic backdrop. “Image” is another catchy pop song with amazing bass lines that makes it nearly impossible to resist dancing.

There are many ways to objectively review an album, but the most absolute way to determine the quality and appeal of is to hear it played live. Fortunately, many students at the University of Iowa, including myself, were blessed with the opportunity of seeing them play live during the annual homecoming concert put on by SCOPE. Not only did the performance live up to my high expectations of the group, but they exceeded them by a large margin. Mica Tenenbaum’s vocals were ethereal, and the instrumentation was also cosmic with Matthew Lewin delivering on the keys and guitar.

Hearing songs off the album such as “Killing Time”, “Fear, Sex”, and a more punk like rendition of “That’s My Floor” with live guitar and drums showcased the artistry that is sometimes overlooked in their discography. The quality of the live vocals and rhythm sections were show stopping and gave new life to the songs as they evolved from the studio versions. The set was incredible with colorful, gleaming lighting fitting of their music, and came to a perfect end with the triumphant and bouncy track “The Ballad of Matt & Mica”, which gives a euphoric synopsis of the duo’s own personal lore.

In what has seemed like a major year of pop revivalism, Magdalena Bay deservedly stands at the forefront of a year of music loaded with incredible releases. It is one of the best things to witness in music when musicians at their artistic peak manage to effectively translate a cohesive, yet opulent vision to an album both conceptually and musically. This record delivered on all fronts and improved upon their first album in almost every way possible. In case you’ve never heard anything like it before, this album is pop music fleshed out at its highest level, balancing thoughtful and introspective songwriting, maximalist song arrangements, and catchy melodies that will be permanently inserted into your brain.

Official Maurice Crawford Score: 9.0 / 10

The post Magdalena Bay at an Artistic Peak, Live in the Flesh appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Here we all shared this common appreciation for De Souza and her music, which best summarizes and encapsulates this feeling of growing up. In other songs of hers like “You Can be Mean” and “How I Get Myself Killed” she sings about the complexities and complications of the processes of moving through phases in life, when one is not yet exactly sure who they are or what they want. Further tracks along the setlist like “Take Off Ur Pants” and “Younger & Dumber” are tracks that embody sensations of what it means to look back on past encounters. These experiences along the seams of things that turned out as they were either inevitably or unexpectedly, become memories that follow you for the rest of your life.

Within this hemisphere of wistful and dewy-eyed tonalities, the music’s live ambiance left the onlookers maudlin with acceptance to whatever may come our way within this venture of maturity. What De Souza tells us through this show is that everything will be okay, and that one must only hold on until the very point of when things will eventually get better. The show left the crowd with a sense of reassurance and comfort, beyond what other things may be able to offer. It left many with a newly found sense of hope for what’s to happen in the future, and provides us with a determination to go on with our lives, with a form of insight that is welcoming to refreshing prospects. They are particularly signifiers of one’s openness to learning more about the world and the rest of yourself.

De Souza’s performance was intimate, closely-knitted, and aligned to its listeners, making a musically ascribed language commence between herself and the audience. The performer and listener meet at a common point of understanding for each other that says “I have been there,” and “I get it.” This confides in the listener that they are not alone. This energy is one that shares secrets amongst the crowd, through the unspoken translation of feelings, emotions, and thoughts that is conveyed through Indigo De Souza being homesick for a tomorrow that is waiting, if not itching, to transpire.

The post Mission Creek: Indigo De Souza Provides a Reckoning on What it Means to Grow Up appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Originally a breakthrough from the burgeoning world of Soundcloud, Bollinger started off her career through uploading her music on the platform from the vernal age of sixteen. She grew up in a household where her mother was a music therapist, and her two brothers both played in bands. Around this juncture of time, she had already established her serene tendency for embodying the now euphoniously dulcet symphony evident in all of her songs. Springy, blithesome, and affectionately maudlin, Bollinger’s musicality withholds an aptitude for a laid-back, subdued sentimentality that extends itself lyrically and instrumentally. In another single “Running“ released in 2022, aspects of her musicality provide the feel for epiphanic reflections, as if accessed through the breach of her secret garden of a diary, and all met in the bridge that ties indie pop to folk rock. With the adjunct compliments of chimerical synth lines and delicate ringings of the saxophone, Bollinger blurs the line between what is intimate and grandiose.

Image via Kate Bollinger

On the 3rd, Bollinger will be accompanied in the roster by special acts, courtesy of Sam Burton and 24thankyou. Touring with Bollinger, Burton possesses the similar kinship to folk rock, at which his tracks reminisce upon longing and discovery. This is all illustrated within the backdrop of rural, country scenery within context of a road trip or a search for truth. 24thankyou brings a more vogue edge to the program in their music. With its occasional glitch and distortion for tonality, it expresses a nostalgia for circuit-bending break-core intonations that descend upon a path of forgotten memories. Close to remembrance, but not quite.  

Kate Bollinger, alongside Sam Burton and 24thankyou will make their Track Zero debuts on Tuesday, October 3rd at 7:30 PM, at Gabe’s. Other upcoming acts within the catalog of Track Zero include Tennis, Madison McFerrin, Sen Morimoto, and ZORA.

The post Track Zero Preview: Kate Bollinger To Set the Bridge That Meets Indie Pop and Folk Rock  appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Obviously, this ended up not being the case. After feeling ostracized by his own music, Trevor Powers, the man behind the Youth Lagoon project, decided to return to it as he was recovering from a mysterious and drastic health condition that left his vocal cords damaged, and his body weakened. However, from this whole incident, he had an epiphany of self-discovery, and documenting this is the album Heaven is a Junkyard, the first Youth Lagoon release since 2015, and the cause for their first tour in over five years. 

Nina Keith leaning over an array of synthesizers. Image via John Glab

Nina Keith opens for the first two weeks of the Junkyard tour, playing her glassy, minimalistic ambient pieces. The brisk air from the incessant rotating fans, and the cold blueish-white light blanketing the stage amplified the icy atmosphere that the music built. Standing there it felt like being surrounded by frozen walls in an ancient glacial cave. Rocks clambering against the metal on a vibraphone sounded like icicles breaking off from the ceiling. Quick lush noises flashed over classical soundscapes and low surging reverberations. In a reoccurring move by Keith and her bandmate Massima, they would strum the ends of the bars on the vibraphone to create chilling ethereal swells.  

Youth Lagoon began the set with the tracks “Rabbit” and “Prizefighter,” both off the new album. On the right, Trevor Powers sat surrounded by three different synthesizers, and a small tower that housed drum machines, other electronic instruments and a laptop with a neon orange duct tape cross. A drum set sat on the left side of the stage being sparsely used since most of the songs’ percussion came electronically from the press of a button. Powers’ bandmates, Tchad and Logan, occupied the middle, and swapped roles between playing guitar, drums and bass. Despite Gabe’s smaller performance space, they still managed to include drenching RGB LED lights, setting them angled on the ground.  

Trevor Powers among his set up. Image via John Glab

The third song of the night was “Cannons” from 2011’s The Year of Hibernation. When Powers played the glimmering synth lead, the audience stirred with excitement. A faint echo of “I have more dreams than you have posters of your favorite teams” from voices singing along backed Powers’ vocals. That echo grew with intensity as the instrumentation became more engulfing, before ending with its biting guitar solo. Youth Lagoon didn’t abandon the older tracks that Powers grew to feel detached from, and played multiple other classics including “Montana” and “17,” which further stimulated the crowd. These tracks followed the calm, reflective, stripped back structure that built up into flooding zeniths, and elongated, indie power-pop jams.  

Following “Cannons” was the song “Deep Red Sea” which had a very loungey feel from plinking piano licks, and light plucked basslines, but still intwined with a course synth part during its end. The setlist was dominated by tracks from the new album. Fitting for the Junkyard tour. The jazzier arrangements of these songs allowed for more people to shuffle along with the music, giving the audience a livelier radiation. The lyrics on these songs had a lot of clarity and personal elements, like with “Trapeze Artist,” which Powers briefly spoke on the tumultuous state he was in while writing it, before playing the song. Tracks like “Idaho Alien” had smooth hooks with lingering, memorable flows. Even though those in the audience were more unfamiliar with the songs because of their novelty, many were still able to find themselves mouthing along to them.  

Image via John Glab

Powers interacted with the audience a lot during the performance, talking back with different people. In one instance, Powers had asked for Tchad’s bass to be turned down in his headphone monitors because the reverb was too much to handle. After himself feeling bad for the request, the crowd started chanting Tchad’s name to seemingly boost his spirits. They then cycled through Logan and ended with Trevor’s name. Youth Lagoon then played what they claimed to be the last song “Mercury” ending with its forcible chorus.  

The three members then walked off the stage and out the back door unconvincingly for a predictable encore. Most of the people in attendance still stood around, either because they too saw through the game of peek-a-boo or were still left buzzing from the performance. Somewhat sheepishly, the band walked back on stage and played the songs “Posters” and “Dropla” for the encore. Afterwards, Powers expressed his gratitude towards the audience, and seemed genuinely humbled by the reaction throughout the night.  

You can listen to Heaven is a Junkyard and all the other Youth Lagoon releases on their Bandcamp and other streaming services. Youth Lagoon continue their tour for another week before taking a break and returning again in September. 

Full Setlist: 

Rabbit 

Prizefighter 

Cannons 

Deep Red Sea 

The Sling 

Afternoon 

Trapeze Artist Mute 

Little Devil from the Country 

Idaho Alien 

17  

Mercury 

Posters 

Dropla 

The post Youth Lagoon Remerges from Hibernation at Gabe’s appeared first on KRUI Radio.

During that time Trevor Powers released music under his own name, with 2018’s “Mulberry Violence,” a more glitched-out, experimental rendition of the flooding power-pop he did as Youth Lagoon, and 2020’s “Capricorn,” an ambient, minimalistic electronic album much akin to Brian Eno, or Mort Garson’s work. These albums were made from his attempts to grapple with his own self-perception.  

Near the end of 2021, Powers was faced with a sudden medical emergency. A drastic bad reaction to an over-the-counter medicine had his stomach acid bubbling upwards. The vapors from that eruption lingered on. His throat was coated in acid leaving Powers unable to speak for extended periods of time. Powers described the experience as a “mini death” that resulted in him having this feeling of rebirth. Having his body destroyed, and then being forced to reassemble all those pieces, it allowed him to transform into a person he better recognized.  

Image via Lightning 100

That led to the creation of “Heaven is a Junkyard” and a return to Youth Lagoon. Powers’ tender damaged voice tells stories of characters with parallels to his experiences over the past few years. From that pain there comes a sense of comfort, from the growth of working through it all and striving to come out the other side. It feels free of anxiety. “Heaven is a Junkyard” has a loungey feel to it with creaking basslines, shallow pianos and light, serene instrumentation. The album has a clean production value to it and ripples, like drops of water into a puddle. This is in contrast to the lo-fi, gushing climaxes in previous Youth Lagoon releases. 

The Youth Lagoon show at Gabe’s in Iowa City marks the fourth show on his new tour for “Heaven is a Junkyard,” the first one in over five years. Since it has been so long, it’s kind of a mystery what the performance will be like. It won’t be the glammed-out, bathed in colorful LED light indie pop concert that was the archetype in the early 2010’s. Powers has grown out of that. Besides Gabe’s can’t really fit that. Yet, will Youth Lagoon pull out a song like “Cannons” or any other one from that era, or have they been permanently laid to rest? Likely the performance will reflect the growth and change that Youth Lagoon has found itself in. 

Youth Lagoon will be at Gabe’s in Iowa City on Tuesday, July 18^th as his fourth stop on his first tour in over five years. You can listen to “Heaven is a Junkyard” and the rest of his discography on Bandcamp and other streaming services.  

The post Show Preview: Gabe’s Hosts One of the First Youth Lagoon Performances in Over Five Years appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Starting roughly four years ago, siblings Hadley, Logan, and former band member Campbell Nelson began making music through the realization of sampling and the doors it can open. Stripping palpable elements of electronic music translated into indie pop, through the use of Amen-break-like drum elements, strong synth leads achieved from vocal or sample chops, additional guitar elements, all topped with energetic vocals from the siblings; Silver Cup poses as a band with some of the most interesting sounds indie pop has to offer.

As Logan, who is responsible for producing the songs, explains, “My mindset has always been sampling. Digging into crates, recording that snippet of the record; or even finding something in the public domain that has an interesting sound to it. That is how we try to make the sound of Silver Cup stand out.” Sampling is highly relevant now, due to its universal application, making it one of the most accessible ways to make music, yet not an easy task to master. Logan says that he has drawn major influences on the creativity that comes from sampling as well as sound processing, “It was sort of a before and after when my brother showed me how Madlib and J Dilla used to do it: just some old records and an MPC controller. It marked the way I approach production. Another huge influence is the sound design coming from Four Tet, able to take acoustic sounds and crumple them up to compose beautiful pieces of music.”

Silver Cup’s vocals rest in the hands of both siblings, but Hadley’s writing and voice stand out as they are emotionally filled with themes established early in their formative years, “Since the beginning, Silver Cup as a project has had this coming-of-age feeling, which comes naturally to us as siblings. So, a lot of the influences we’ve had are based on what we used to listen to with our mom in the car. Personally though, Imogen Heap and The Postal Service are the two staples in that regard.” As the siblings grew older, they have established their music taste and extracted clear sonic profiles from current artists, as Hadley explains, “translating the same sonic profile (from Imogen Heap and The Postal Service) to the modern day, Caroline Polachek has played a big influence as well, especially as a vocalist and how she combines her voice with the electronic elements of her music.”

Even though a lot of the musical history the siblings have is strongly intertwined, both Hadley and Logan have had their respective experience when it comes to listening and writing music. Hadley has been performing on stage since an early age. Whether it be in musical theater, or to their family and friends as a kid, there was always a musical element that called out. “I was in college when Logan reached out asking to start Silver Cup, and starting the project played a big part in how I listen to music.” Hadley explains that the call to write her own pieces very much influenced her approach to listening to music. “We all listened to music throughout high school and college, but sometimes it was my brother who would send me stuff to listen to. It was throughout the course of last year that I started to develop an individual taste; either from finding artists on my own or rediscovering some that I used to listen to as a kid. For example, Imogen Heap, an artist who I listened as a kid, is a completely different experience 15 years later”

As with any other person within the music industry nowadays, social media plays a big part in how your music will engage with an audience. It is not a new thing, as Logan describes, “Since the beginning of pop music as we know it, musicians have always been personas. The only difference from previous years is that then the main medium was TV. Artists would go out of their way and make an appearance on TV because they wanted their music to be successful, even if they didn’t want to be there.” Silver Cup’s music has benefited from some virality, as Hadley explains, “it has been a catalyst for Silver Cup’s growth which I am super grateful for.” Their goal when it comes to social media is to not overplay it, but rather show authenticity. “We would rather take our time to share our music through an authentic lens, showing a bit of ourselves hoping that it would ring with people who are interested in our music and through that mean build a community”, Logan explains. As far as I can tell, the fruits of their efforts are palpable through the connection between the people who are familiar with Silver Cup’s music and the band itself.

When preparing for their now ongoing tour, Hadley mentioned that their new set up consists of mostly MIDI controllers, a pair of guitars, and a wireless headset mic for Hadley (like those NSYNC would wear on stage). “This setup is more compact since we are going on the road. Usually, we would have a drummer with us, but we would be compressing it down to an electronic set up which requires a whole different preparation itself.” When talking with the band, they said that they only took one day off after practicing their performance for the greater part of a month, “mainly because we are not a band who wants to take shows lightly. You can find bands that would just hang out, jam for an hour or two the day before their show and they would do just fine, but Hadley and I never settled for average when we played live. We want to make sure the audience has a good experience, regardless of them knowing our music.”

The show Silver Cup played in Iowa City was only their second of the tour they are currently on, as a support to Flamingos in the Tree. I was looking forward to listening to what they had in store. From my perspective, the practice paid off. You could clearly sense the energy and enthusiasm they were wanting to transmit. They did an incredible job in setting the scene, clearly delimiting their performance from the one from the previous band. It came as a surprise how they were able to control the strobe lights on stage, mapping its actions with the MIDI signals sent by some of the electronic elements within their digital audio workstation (DAW). When the show went on, you can clearly see how the preparation paid off. Their set up can seem gimmicky (and may lead to a just few technical issues), but each part played an important role on their performance. Hadley’s delicate yet powerful movements on stage are enabled by the headset mic, Logan playing guitar increases the energy of the performance, and the sibling’s ability to arrange the songs live through their MIDI controllers allows for distinctive energy build ups that can be hard to achieve with a regular set up. Their ability to engage with the audience is second-to-none. I have no doubt that later dates would benefit from a spotless performance, after ironing out the technical issues.

Image via Silver Cup

The band played multiple unreleased songs that still engaged with the audience. All these, in addition to the three most recent singles (Away, Bizarre Love Triangle, and Kill For You) are part of the upcoming mixtape from the band, titled “Songs from a broken laptop”, coming on early August.

“In the process of moving from Utah to New York, having struck some luck with virality, we had multiple meetings with people within the music industry. They always asked, “where is your 10? where is that hit?”. We became obsessed with that idea, which allowed us to grow and write cool music. But having that as a forefront is not sustainable, especially if your hard work is not received as expected. After scrapping for that “ten”, exhausted from the burden, we changed our mind, reaching a point of us just wanting to have fun. This mixtape was created over the course of two months, on a broken laptop that was run over by a car on tour, in a time when there wasn’t much gas left in the tank. The title of the mixtape, “Songs from a broken laptop”, is true in more ways than one. Is the most honest work we have made to date and we hope people like it as much as we do. “

I have resonated with their music, especially their most recent releases. The three singles pose as the band’s most electronic-forward music yet. Their truly infectious rendition to New Orders’ Bizarre Love Triangle is a fun modernization that maintains the same gloomy feeling from the original. The themes touched in Away are true to the band’s core and ethos, growing up and changing. And Kill For You, which is probably my favorite of the three singles coming from the mixtape, is an energetic way to tell your significant other you would do anything for them. The sample played in the chorus paired with Hadley’s vocals are spot on, with everything brought together with the Reese bassline and the drum break made famous by The Winstons. 

The post Sibling Duo, Silver Cup, Embody Early Influences and Themes Onto Their Music appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Beach Bunny had had their first performance of their tour at the Englert Theatre on Friday, April 8. As the night progressed the theater filled with excited young bodies thrilled to see Beach Bunny live. Their performance was refreshingly youthful and effortlessly talented. Even though guitarist Matt Henkel was missing, as Lili Trifilio said, “The show must go on!” She went so hard on the guitar that her finger started bleeding. Bassist Anthony Vaccaro and drummer Jon Alvarado equally rocked out, jumping around and bringing playful energy to the set.

The stage had vintage televisions lit with static and projected stars. The colorful pink, purple, and red lights glittered off of Trifilio’s glittery, silver outfit and the backdrop.

At the start of their performance, Trifilio asked everyone to stand, which sent the crowd rushing to her feet at the front of the stage. They opened with her single “Oxygen.” A smile erupted on Trifilio’s face when people started to sing along. During her song “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used)” the audience was asked to sing backup vocals, bringing them into the performance. Everyone sang along. Beach Bunny had the younger students who sat beside me mesmerized, one even accidentally smacked me during “Blame Game” because they were so taken by the song.

Although the venue was seated, and the crowd was smaller than anticipated for future venues, and they were down a guitarist, the performance was all the more genuine and personal. The crowd participation and emotional vulnerability of Beach Bunny’s music made the entire show approachable and fun. If I could go back in time and be there again, I would in a heartbeat.

Beach Bunny will go on to play the Mo Pop Festival in Detroit and Lollapalooza in Chicago later in the year along with artists like Green Day and Big Sean.

For more information about Beach Bunny, see our previous article here.

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1. Was it Something I Said by Mykey

Perfectly encapsulating the genre Was It Something I Said starts with – guess its time for sadboy kiss and tell. MyKey, a 23-year-old from Maryland, released his debut album Faces in 2017. His self-produced music is a mix of pop, folk, and bluegrass. He is currently working on a second full-length album, citing, of course, Tyler the Creator as a major inspiration.

2. Mariposa by The Peach Tree Rascals

Mariposa is an aggressively cheerful, bright, and wholesome song by the SF collective The Peach Tree Rascals. With ones to watch, they describe themselves as “Indescribable, soulful, charismatic, honest, and… Give me about five seconds to think of one more. Pure.” They currently have 9 other singles out, each just as excellent and lovingly crafted as Mariposa.

3. Hot Rod by Dayglow

Sloane Struble is your average 19-year-old UT student with 2.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Dayglow is a one-man show- the mixing, vocals, production and creative production all done by Struble.  His first album Fuzzybrain was released in November 2019, each song as dreamlike and upbeat as the last. Read more about him here.

4. Angel Eyes by FUR

You may have heard If You Know That I’m Lonely, their first absolute banger that they attribute the start of their career to. Angel Eyes was released last year from the Brighton based group and taps into the nostalgic and vibrant elements of indie-pop/rock.

5. Nothing Has Changed by The Polar Boys

This track by The Polar Boys is nostalgic in both its lyrics and its guitar riffs, bringing an energy to the sepia-toned melancholy this song evokes. The Miami based group’s music falls somewhere on the blurry margin of indie-pop and surf-rock as they experiment and grow into their sound.

6. When You Were Made by The Growlers

The Growlers are another band that contributes to the increasing number of sub-genres in music today, floating somewhere around the surf and garage rock. When You Were Made was released in 2016 on their album City Club, one of their 6 full-length albums currently out.

7. Honeypie by JAWNY

Formerly known as Johnny Utah, Jacob Sullenger made a splash in the indie-pop scene as Doja Cat’s boyfriend and with this breakout song, Honeypie. Similar to other artists featured here, JAWNY is a self-made artist mixing, producing, and recording his own music.

The post Vibe? Checked. – An Indie Music Roundup appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Benee has been busy in the past year with her two EPs, FIRE ON MARZZ and STELLA & STEVE, as well as touring with other indie-pop darling Conan Gray and her own live shows across the UK and America. She first splashed on scene with her 2017 single Tough Guy, a lush track set with her signature silky vocals and synthetic funk wave refrains. However, it was Soaked off of FIRE ON MARZZ that garnered attention from a wider audience as it charted in New Zealand after its 2018 release.

In an interview with Complex, Benee gave insight into her music-making process and cited freestyling as a major component of her creative fuel, particularly in Want Me Back off of STELLA & STEVE. This somewhat unconventional process gives her discography a fresh feeling, as the narrative meanders and wanders into stories and asides that pull you in. The young artist has achieved her upbeat and polished sound with the help of Josh Fountain of the band LEISURE. The two have collaborated since her first release in 2017, and the maturation of her sound even in the few years between 2017 and now are promising of innovative growth from Benee in the years to come.  

Her subject matter ranges from serious to ridiculous, ruminating on subjects of love and heartbreak on one track and from the point of view of a spider in the next. This is best encapsulated in the silly but sad proclamation “I am a spider / Creep up behind ya / Promise not to bite / Unless you’re hurting me” in Evil Spider off of FIRE ON MARZ, displaying Benee’s talent for a kind of musical irony. One of the integral parts of the listening experience is how the lyrics can create a relatable, poignant, or entertaining narrative. In most of her songs, she wraps heavier emotions into a bright, indie-pop sound. In her own words, Benee hopes that people can “hear a lyric and be like, ‘I hate that. That was f–king weird.’ I don’t mind that. But [I do hope] that someone can be like, ‘Yeah, I feel that.’”

Benee has also collaborated with Gus Dapperton on Supalonely and Jack Berry on Drifting. She has previously expressed her delight in collaborating with other artists, opening up the possibility of exciting new collaborations on the horizon. On her notable wishlist of collaborators are Steve Lacy, King Krule, and Daniel Caesar. Benee has already made her mark on music, taking four awards in the 2019 New Zealand Music Awards. As a young artist at the beginning of her career with such success, Benee is one to watch in the years to come.  

The post New Artist Spotlight: Benee appeared first on KRUI Radio.

COIN takes some of the synthetic sweetness and feel-good nature of 80s new wave and injects it into their saccharine concoction of indie pop. The Nashville group released their third album, Dreamland, on February 21 of this year. Smile-inducing and musically intricate, the 14 track collection is a refreshing jolt of happiness in a world that is overwhelmingly wrapped up in the distressing.

The band has gone through some changes in recent years, becoming an independent group and parting ways with their original bassist. Dreamland is the first album COIN has released with just three members, consisting of frontman Chase Lawrence, drummer Ryan Winnen, and guitarist Joe Memmel.

The opening track “Into My Arms” serves as a delectable appetizer to the rest of the album, a smorgasbord of bouncy guitar and synth. In an interview with Billboard about the album, Winnen talked about why the song felt like a perfect introduction because of how personal the aspects within it were to the group. “The instrumentation exemplifies all of our individual tendencies and reminds me of when we’d practice at the house on Elberta St., where Joe and I used to live,” Winnen said. “Writing this song felt like fruit to that labor.”

A fitting accompaniment to the joyful feel of the music, the focus of the lyrics throughout the album centers mainly around fun, love, and the emotions surrounding the two. “Simple Romance,” which was released as a single in 2018, has more of a funk edge than its surrounding tracks. However, its lyrics serve the common theme of doing anything for love: “While you’re living your best / Now I’m kind of a mess / It’s what you do to me.”

Amidst all of the bubbly music that makes up the majority of the collection sits the short yet leisurely “Dreamland Sequence.” Layers of ambient synth echo the cooing vocals that ease in and and out discordance and harmony, a nice break from the turmoil of the relationships the other songs describe.

Serious or even morbid imagery contrasts with the upbeat music in several of the songs. In the pursuit of love, COIN is willing to let their lover “Crash My Car” and cause them to be the richest man in the “Cemetery.” Halfway through the album, the chorus “Valentine” asks what seems to be the central question of Dreamland: “You ever love something so much it hurts?”

The last section of the album attempts to reconcile with the complications of love, considering and contemplating about what the relationships have revealed. “Heaven Hearted” is a parallel instrumental piece to “Dreamland Sequence” that slows the pace before the freeing final song that is “Let It All Out (10:005).” Living in COIN’s buoyant Dreamland, even if only for a short while, is a dream all its own.

The post Crashing Cars and Candy Bars: Inside COIN’s “Dreamland” appeared first on KRUI Radio.