Starcoast - Starcoast

Starcoast

Star coast
​self-released; 2015

3.3 out of 5

By Andrew Westberry

Named for the unexpected meteor shower during a nighttime beach walk that inspired the band in 2014, Starcoast is a four-piece indie rock band from Virginia Beach. After an attempted recording session at a studio, Starcoast decided that their sound could best be captured in their own garage and equipment, and their self-titled album Starcoast was released in late 2015.

The record starts off on a bright chord progression in “Floating” with strikingly sharp percussion and pellucid guitars that lay down a catchy instrumentative foundation for the emotive vocals to perform over. There are a minimal number of effects added to the sounds that the band creates, and the raw tones are more than efficient to convey the aura that the band generates.

“Sunlight” features an additional synthesizer instrument, as well as the usual guitars and drums. Vocal harmonies pepper the song, and an extended instrumental section highlighted by staccato strums brings an added facet to the already multilayered track. The album proceeds full tilt with “Hawaiian Sunset” a strictly upbeat and danceable song that belies the calm atmosphere that the title might bring to mind.

The vocals in “Sleep Tonight” venture into the realm of falsetto, and the wistful song as a whole showcases a softer side of Starcoast. The band’s typical high-energy sound returns in “The Beach,” a track that pairs smooth vocals with slightly jazzy chords before delivering a hard-hitting chorus that exemplifies the quintessential indie rock sound.

Concluding with “Drifting” the only song on the album to spotlight the piano, the album is brought to a triumphant and full ending. Each song of this album is able to hold its own, but when taken as a whole, the record shines all the brighter. Overall, this record is catchy and promising, and if this release is a reliable indication, Starcoast is surely bound for even greater things.

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