Denver's A Shoreline Dream return with their sophomore effort, the EP titled Coastal, which features four varied tracks that really show the talent of this band. Kick-off tune "Ukraine" is a catchy, Marillion-meets-Radiohead-meets-The Cure rocker, with dreamy guitar washes, while "The Barrier" is a fascinating post-rock instrumental with Eno-ish keyboard and piano drones, offering up something decidely ambient & electronic. "New York" is another modern, catchy rocker, with a slight U2 feel to it, featuring layers of effects laden vocals, ringing guitar riffs, haunting keyboards, and busy rhythms. There's plenty of instrumental noodling going on here as well, making this piece of interest to the prog rock crowd. The final number, "Aftershocking" is a near 6-minute slice of accessible psychedelia, a head on collision between Porcupine Tree and The Cure, with enchanting vocals and waves of droning guitars that weave and circle each other. A Shoreline Dream have all the potential to latch on to a broad audience with stuff like this-the recipe calls for some post rock, some ambient soundscapes, a pinch of psych, a teaspoon of prog, and a 1/4 cup of modern darkwave. The final product is pretty tasty indeed.
Track Listing
1) Ukraine
2) The Barrier
3) New York
4) Aftershocking