The PR blurb for ‘Grand Opening’ claims that Coast Jumper recorded their debut album in a dimly lit basement. It’s hard to fathom, therefore, that they could produce a record as bright and as melodic as this. The young Californian group have certainly mastered the art of dreampop and are keen to throw in a few surprises too.
‘Sutures’ is the first chance we get to experience the pin-sharp harmonies of the group whilst ‘For Youth’ sounds like The Drums with FX pedals. Covering a Beach Boys song may not be the most original route to take but their version of Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On Your Shoulder)’ is both respectful and original enough to add a new level of dreamy melancholia to an already heavenly piece of music. The heavier moments tend to be the most disappointing, so the shoegaze-meets-Klaxons racket that is ‘Disabler’ shows admirable invention but it sits uneasily amongst the beautiful noise. Much more palatable are blissed-out experiments such as ‘Infinite Something’ and the languid perfection of ‘Windowsill’.
There are a growing number of American bands taking the dreampop route so it is commendable that Coast Jumper attempt to throw in a “loud one” every now and then, to keep the listener on tenderhooks. However, it’s on the slower more romantic material where the quintet really excel.
Web Sites:
Coast Jumper Official Site
Further Listening:
Arnold, Pandit, The Beach Boys
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