Coastal - Halfway To You

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 5 / 5 / 2005

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It had been quite a while since Coastal released their debut album (titled simply 'Coastal'), and I had almost given them up. They rarely tour, and I had heard little from them after a Pennyblackmusic interview back in 2001. Evidently, however, all is peaceful in the world of the band and they have re-emerged with a second album. Like their first record, 'Halfway To You' is a very slow, a very gentle and a very pretty collection. The band played as a support act for Low, and have a similar approach. The songs are slow burning, wilfully unenergetic and sparsely arranged. They also tend to revolve around male/female harmonies. But Coastal also are inspired by the shoe gazers, and the fuzzy mystical qualities of My Bloody Valentine are always evident. No one song stands out as better than any of the others, although there are two particularly beautiful melodies which noticeably send shivers down the spine. This is an album to play late at night, when the house is silent and most of the world lost in their dreams. Without full concentration it will be discarded, because its appeal is the subtle details so often lost. Much like Low, then. I prefer 'Halfway To You' to Coastal’s debut. The melodies are gorgeous, the lead vocals of Jason Gough ever so slightly stronger and the variety of instruments a little more engaging. Though just as consistent in mood, the tone slightly shifts sometimes, and this makes the album a bit more impressive. I would be very surprised if, come December, this album didn’t repeat the feat of their first and feature as one of my favourite albums of the year.

Track Listing:-

1 Until You Sleep
2 Eternal
3 Halfway To You
4 Leaves
5 Night Sky
6 We Won't Last Another Year
7 Drift
8 London In February
9 So Close

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Coastal-Band/138639642863701
http://www.coastalrock.com/

Label Links:-

http://www.words-on-music.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wordsonmusic
https://twitter.com/WordsOnMusic
https://www.youtube.com/user/shouldfish

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