Reviews

The debut release from this Connecticut band starts off with a pop-sounding piano riff on "Made by Machine" with decently melodic vocals from Aaron Meadows, which is a pleasant surprise. Powerful production courtesy of Chris Badami - who's responsible for just about every band on Drive-Thru who's not New Found Glory - helps make the record one of the best surprises, so far, of 2008.

The steady drumming of LJ Bunker provides the album with a needed center, around which the rest of the band gathers, ultimately helping to make everything sound stronger, particulary on "First Impression."

Some of the song titles show where the band gather their inspiration; "Subconscious Walls," "Brave the Tide" and "So Many Faces" are just some of the examples of the almost whiny-sounding songs. But don't be fooled, this isn't a whiny album, which is a damn good thing. The band pulls everything together to make a strong, upbeat record in the face of determination.

The biggest surprise of the record, by far, is the acoustic "So Many Faces." Despite the title, the song is a watershed moment for this band. It's playing acoustically that this band discovers their real power. It's rare for a band of their type to play acoustically and not sound totally whiny and shitty, but A Coastline Ending have pulled it off.

By going against the grain and trying some new things - like the techno beats in "Brave the Tide" - the band is able to fool the audience in some instances. While some of these tricks don't work, they try them anyway to see what would work for them in the future, which is highly commendable.

This band is definitely going places and this record is the perfect place for them to show what they're capable of. Check ‘em out!