Review: The Cape Race - Home, Truths

**original blog on my wordpress here**

I first heard of The Cape Race three years ago after happening across out their twitter and, shortly after, buying their self-released EP Now, Voyager. Recently, they released their first full length with label Ten Letters and it certainly doesn’t disappoint.

The Manchester quintet have done a lot towards this album in the last three years. The album, Home, Truths opens with ‘Digging For Gold’, a slower track that builds up as it progresses and definitely one of my favourite tracks on the album. The instruments in the verses seem restrained, really letting loose for the chorus in a way that compliments David Moloney’s strong vocals.

Aside from being an all-round great band, it’s Moloney’s voice that really sets The Cape Race apart from similar bands and puts the album on another level. Thankfully keeping his Manchester accent, no track ever runs the risk of instruments drowning out vocals, but Moloney also demonstrates his beautiful falsetto in the chorus of ‘The 77′. Each track gels together, from more familiar tracks to arguably more experimental ones, without jarring or stopping the album’s general flow; ‘Vines’ seems to me like it was written to be a live track, just waiting for an eager crowd to sing it back.

The Cape Race have by no means left Now, Voyager behind in their debut full-length, however, merely built on it. In fact, the album has four of the six tracks from the band’s EP, and personally I’m thrilled. ‘The Reprieve’ was my absolute favourite track – it’s the right amount of catchy without becoming annoying, and the guitars are just as fantastic as the clever lyrics – so to see it made the album was perfect. This way, anyone who buys the album that might not have also bought the EP get the pleasure of it anyway.

The album closes the same way as the EP, with ‘Now, Voyager’. This certainly doesn’t mean The Cape Race haven’t come far, though. Although more lyrically mellow than other tracks, the closing track takes away none of the albums bite. After a calmer bridge that signs off the build up from ‘Digging For Gold’ perfectly, the latter half of the track is more raw and energetic, and seals Now, Voyager and Home, Truths together. To say that this is a solid album would be an understatement; The Cape Race have come above and beyond since their first EP without distancing themselves from it, producing a consistent sound that they can call their own.

REVIEW: Coasts - Oceans EP

**Original post on my wordpress here**

   I came across Coasts after they followed me on twitter. Admittedly, I don’t normally check out many bands I get randomly followed by – mostly I don’t have the time – but this time I’m glad a did. A quick google told me the quintet hail from Bristol, and the EP itself was released at the end of May. It opens with ‘Oceans’ which starts deceptively slow, picking up pace until hitting the first chorus. There is certainly an indie vibe throughout the EP, and this track opens it perfectly. Deposited the changes in pace, the track flows without jarring and gives the vocals a chance to shine without distracting from the overall feel of all the instruments coming together.

   ‘Tonight’ has a sort of Two Door Cinema Club feel in the intro. Slightly more mellow than ‘Oceans’, this track is great for just chilling out to. In fact, the whole EP feels like it was written for festivals in the height of summer. The slightly more electronic sound adds another depth to it and gives the band a slight edge over a lot of indie bands with similar sounds. This diversity carries through to ‘Golden City’, another slow starter giving the keys a chance to shine this time as the guitars slightly more of a back seat until around the minute mark. The lyrics match the tempo of the song giving it a wholesome feel blending nicely as the track progresses. It also shows a slightly experimental side of the band with the effects used towards the end, implying that when Coasts release a full length it’ll have a lot to offer.

   The final song (excluding the two remixes) ‘See How’ gives way to softer vocals in the intro. Each track seems to emphasise different parts of the band, and altogether show a complete and rounded view of them. Despite the seemingly mellow lyrics, the track develops instrumentally into something deceptively upbeat. Though the EP works well in its studio form, it is definitely made for live performances. Even the slower tracks have an energy in them that’d be enough to win over any audience. I imagine their live shows would be well worth seeing – Coasts have a tour coming up in September which you can buy tickets for here, and you can get the EP here. It’s well worth the mere £2.99!

Check Out: Echosmith

   With an average age of just 17, it may come as a surprise that Echosmith are signed to massive label Warner. But don't be perturbed by their age - the quartet have a lot more to offer than just their youth.

   California based siblings Sydney, Jamie, Noah and Graham Sierota first appeared online under the name 'Ready Set Go' in 2010 with a cover of Taylor Swift's 'Mine' on youtube (listen here). The band bring a new meaning to taking work home, as they seem to eat sleep breathe music, 24/7. Following their video of 'Mine' the band uploaded numerous other cover videos, showcasing their extensive talents, including tracks originally by Mumford and Sons and Coldplay (incidentally, one of their main influences). Two years and many covers later, the band were signed to Warner Bros. Records.

   After being signed, the band released debut single 'Tonight We're Making History' under new name Echosmith. The song had an electronic, pop vibe that wouldn't have sounded out of place amongst many other young artists currently in the charts. The band then went on to record an album, releasing singles 'Come Together' and 'Cool Kids'. The two songs showed a more refined sound for Echosmith, more indie yet still harnessing the same energy as their previous single. Sydney's vocals suit this style perfectly, reminiscent of vocalists in Of Monsters and Men, London Grammar and Chvrches. Her voice shines in every song, demonstrating both her strong chest voice and a beautiful falsetto in tracks such as 'Bright' and 'March Into the Sun', and Jamie and Noah (guitar and bass, respectively) harmonise perfectly with her. 

   The bands debut album Talking Dreams was released late 2013, showing a mature sound for the band that's consistent from song to song. One track, 'Surround You', was featured on the soundtrack for 2014 film Endless Love starring Alex Pettyfer. The band are clearly going places, having already toured with the likes of Owl City and Neon Trees and appeared on MTVs 2014 Artists to Watch. Talking Dreams is a strong debut album, with catchy tracks and it gives Echosmith their sound. For such a young band (Graham, drums, is just 15), they seem to have a firm grasp on their music and what they want to sound like, so it'll be all onwards and upwards for the band from here. I would highly recommend investing in the album and checking out their youtube for covers and acoustic performances. They seem like the kind of band that is only going to carry on growing and getting even better.