gold coast - summer blood

Gold Coast 

Summer Blood
self-released; 2014

3.8 out of 5

By Ethan Skelton

Gold Coast is a fresh act surfacing from the long-term bonds each member of the band shares. Their passion for music is only equaled by their level of understanding for one another through which high school and brotherhood can be attested. Faced with the adversity of losing their lead singer, the guys joined together and brought out the best in each other, realizing the vocal abilities of their trio was more than sufficient to press on musically. They were disciplined, well rehearsed, and Summer Blood shines.

“Obstacles” sounds like waves crashing like a symphony, hauntingly dynamic, but never quite bright or dark. The guitar is thin and filled with trebly picking, so if that’s not your cup of tea turn back now as it is very present throughout the album. In my taste, it suits the tone of a pseudo-‘80s beach alternative group fashioned around drama and serious themes. 

The music is strong and emotive, but not in the way their name or album art imply. This is a lot more The Cure than Yellowcard. One might infer that the blind-like pattern of sunshine and sunset on the shore might stand for the way this album climbs and drops in tone. Some songs are ripe with excitement while others beautifully labor like sails against the wind.

The ironically titled “Dissonant” actually breathes some endearing instrumentation and sounds generally consonant by contrast. The xylophone is an innocently sweet addition that characterizes the vulnerability of this band’s craft. I’m a big fan of the drums on this track; they swell and punctuate in all the right places. The snare and bass are in a syncopated tandem that is anything but your standard beat, somewhat reminiscent of “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon especially during the chorus. 

On “Build Yourself Again” and “Lost” Gold Coast take things up a couple of clicks and really crank out the rock. They still stay uniquely melodic and somewhat ethereal thanks to the continuity of wandering guitar lines and unusual chord progressions. Summer Blood might not be a summer record, but it’s a bold collection for any season.

Click to set custom HTML

bandcamp

official website