The revival of pop punk and easycore is upon us, and thank god it is. We’ve seen bands like Neck Deep, The Story So Far and State Champs rise to fame and with them they’ve helped a whole new wave of bands surface. Which is for sure a good thing, however it doesn’t come without a few negatives. It has made it increasingly hard for new talent to get noticed due to the overpopulation of quite average bands. Coast To Coast I’m happy to say are some of the new talent out there that needs your support. Check out their new recently released EP “lessons learned” and you’ll see why.
The six piece band from Nagoya, Japan is made up of Brent Bailey, Matty Otsuka, Tomo Shimosaka, Chris Wethington, Yuichi Kamiya, and Derek Kinder. I can tell these guys sure know how to pop punk. The first track “Empty” starts of heavier than your average pop punk song and with good reason. The infectious opening riff makes you wish you were moshing with them right now. Another refreshing thing about this band is the singer sings in a lower vocal range giving a good break from that generic associated nasal sound.
The second song “Gravity” starts with damn near perfect riff heavily reminiscent of a day to remember, but just as catchy as the first riff. The fast pace and sing along ending make another fantastic live song making me want to see them even more. This track also is the first time the singer showcases his screaming ability and I must say I am impressed. He pulls this off pretty successfully and with a little bit of work this could be one of the bands greatest assets.
“Here and Now” pulls you in with an intro riff that’s inescapably catchy. If this song doesn’t get at least one part of your body moving along with it, you’re not listening to it right. This track is by far one of the highlights of the EP, with its multiple singalong parts and relatable lyrics it just doesn’t let up. I would recommend any fan of the genre to download this song at least, because you won’t regret it.
The fourth track brings all of the easycore aspects together in three and a half minute romp through the genre. This track features the best screamo sections in the whole EP by far with some heavy breakdowns that leave you wanting more and more from the band. This in my opinion is the best track on the EP, the changes in style here blend perfectly and fit together to create a damn near perfect easycore song. This track does not disappoint
“Destinations” the final track although not substantially different from the rest of the songs still stands apart and provides a slightly different listening experience from all the others. The catchy bridge and driving riffs still play out strong. Even though the vocal performance is not as tight as the rest on this track, it’s still a very impressive listening experience. Your destination after listening to this EP should be nowhere else but the iTunes store.
On the whole this is one tight easycore/pop punk EP and “Lesson Learned” should definitely be one for your wish list. Their infectious hooks make this one to listen to over and over and I will be. Also the band are doing the pop punk house party at an undisclosed location in Coventry so if you want to check these boys out live grab a ticket while you can, because I’ve just bought my ticket and they will go fast!
Download: “Veils, Visions, Fading”