Indie-pop album provides upbeat anthems

COIN is an indie pop band out of Nashville, Tennessee. The group consists of members Chase Lawrence, Ryan Winnen and Joe Memmel. I first discovered the band while overseas in Malta and their song Talk Too Much came up on a random playlist as I fell asleep. I was instantly hooked.

This band has been one of my favorites for years, especially when I dove past their hit songs into their discography. They’ve created a lot of music and their new album Dreamland is a perfect addition to their resume.

The album opens strongly with Into My Arms. This song brings memories of a long road trip to the beach and you finally reach the sea. The tune is accompanied by a music video, as well. It’s an absolute blast and will definitely be a go-to song for spring 2020.

The album then includes three previously released singles, I Want It All, Simple Romance and Crash My Car.

My favorite of the three singles is definitely Crash My Car. It’s impossible to listen to this song without playing air drums and banging your head along with the triumphant chorus. COIN frontman Lawrence explains the meaning of this song to Billboard.

“A fan who we know and love showed up to a small show of ours in Oxford, Mississippi in her near totaled, headlight-hanging sedan,” Lawrence said. “When she told me the story of her accident (thank God she was okay), I remembered that it’s not about what you have, it’s about who you’re with.”

The album then transitions into the Dreamland Sequence interlude. I love this piece, but I think it would have fit much better at the beginning of the album or leading up to the last song, rather than into the previously released Cemetery.

Cemetery pairs crushing lyrics with an upbeat song, similar to most of LANY’s songs. However, I really like that this one doesn’t have to do with romantic love. Whenever you can craft a pop song about something other than romantic love, you really have something special.

Youuu is simply stunning. The pacing of this song is incredible and each synth is super powerful. My favorite part of the song is the bridge that comes at the very end, and transitions perfectly into the next song.

Valentine is a great track and gives me that California coastline feel, concurrent with the rest of the album. It holds a great bass line and electric lead lines.

In the following tweet, fans join COIN in singing Let It All Out at a live showing in Nashville, Tennessee.

74 fans joined us to sing “Let It All Out (10:05)” live in Nashville. Everything sounds better together.
–https://t.co/PE71XqoQYo pic.twitter.com/d52Cd1C9EN

— COIN (@COIN) February 27, 2020

Nobody’s Baby fits really well in the album. This is a very solid, middle-of-the-road song to round out the album. Had this been presented as a single, I think it would’ve gotten a lot more play. People are bound to miss this song because it’s buried deep in the album.

The chorus of Never Change sounds exactly like Matt Healy from The 1975! It’s still a good song, but it sounds so similar to a song they would make.

COIN arranged a recording of their song Let It All Out featuring a choir of their fans. I love this arrangement and the scene looks incredible.

I think the theme of Dreamland is perfectly captured in Lately III. This is the third installment of ‘Lately’, as these tracks appear in previous albums. The string section causes it to stand out in the album. It’s a complete breath of fresh air, a cool breeze on a hot day.

The track Babe Ruth adds a new dynamic by slowing down the tempo and adding some saucy bass lines. The track ends with a clean guitar solo and then transitions into Heaven Hearted, a quick interlude before Let It All Out.

I think the song Let It All Out defines this album. It’s the best song the band has ever put out and a flawless conclusion to this album. As far as I’m concerned, this is a perfect song.

To see an even more in-depth perspective on the album, check out COIN’s Billboard interview, where the band breaks down each track.

Overall, this album is an essential, especially heading into the spring and summer. I highly recommend letting this record be the soundtrack of your next road trip!

For more articles, read Online community bridges separation amidst shelter-in-place mandate and Superintendent, faculty share updates on school, alternative learning model.

Logan Lewis can be contacted via Instagram, Twitter, and email.

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