EP REVIEW: Sovereign – Coast To Coast

COAST TO COAST have been in the music industry since 2016, and have already released three EPs to date. The Birmingham five-piece group combine emo and rock music in a way which has gained praise from the likes of publications such as Rock Sound, Alternative Press, and New Noise Magazine, as well the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show, and have supported CAN’T SWIM on their UK and European tour last year. With the release of their fourth EP, Sovereign, will COAST TO COAST continue to be praised?

The opening, titular track starts off with an instrumental introduction that continues as vocalist Keiran Hyland starts singing, his deep voice monotonous as the instruments are the only liveliness the song gets. It’s a bit of a slow start for the band which could potentially turn new listeners away. Be Kind starts off with an acoustic guitar that grows stronger during the introduction. Hyland‘s vocals feel more appropriate for an acoustic track as everything is slowed down. The song gets slightly more upbeat towards the end, which does not feel out of place as the rest of the song feels like it’s building up to this more energetic close.

The acoustic guitar continues on the third song entitled The Sun Is Dim, and it is a vast improvement on the previous two songs. Hyland‘s vocals break out of the monotonous singing he had so far on the EP, and this time he projects his voice, which showcases some powerful moments in the song. Heredity then starts off with a piano-led introduction that continues throughout the song, showing that COAST TO COAST are a lot more diverse in their instrumentation, and Hyland‘s vocals continue to improve as he starts the song using spoken word.

The final song, Cold Buzz, is an excellent close to Sovereign as it combines the acoustic instruments which then build up mid-way through the song to close out on a bang. The drums, which until this point have been hidden in amongst the acoustic guitars, really shine, and in the climax of the song, all the band give it their all as Hyland‘s vocals are the best they’ve been on the entire EP. He takes an almost operatic turn, the backing vocals complimenting him all the way.

Sovereign does not start off strong, with Hyland‘s voice ill-fitted to the energy of the opening tracks. However, COAST TO COAST soon seem to realise this, switching up to a sound far more natural to the band and better suited to Hyland. This is where the EP shines, and fans of THE MAINE, CAN’T SWIM and AS IT IS will find a lot to enjoy here.

Rating: 6/10

Sovereign is set for release April 24th via Fox Records. 

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