The Coasts, Racilia

I will admit that I first listened to The Coasts because my friend and former co-worker, Ike Peters, is in the band. I spent my money on their first two albums (The Coasts and Santa Fe), though, because I actually liked them.

The Coasts play lo-fi, indie pop-rock that is simultaneously fun and thoughtful, with bouncy melodies and some deceptively simple lyrics that say a lot more than they seem to on the surface. Racilia is their latest and, in my opinion, best. The production is cleaner without losing its lo-fi street cred, the vocal harmonies are tighter, the songs are a little bouncier, and the lyrics are a bit more mature while still retaining a healthy dose of playfulness. Each time my iPod shuffles over to this album, I end up hearing something new and liking it a little bit more.

Racilia is where The Coasts come into their own and become more than the sum of their parts. They’re no longer a couple of dudes making decent music, they’re a band making good music that deserves to be heard by a much wider audience. I give it four stars because I’d like it to be a little longer (it ends much too quickly) and because I honestly think they’re only just now hitting their stride and have even better things to come.