The emo-rock scene has come full circle in the fifteen years since Braid released the seminal ‘Frame & Canvas’. The slow burner, for me at least, influenced a generation of bands and continues to do so today. However the scene has started to over-saturate and lack innovation, the same tracks are pressed to 7″ vinyl and we’re expected to just go along with it. Fortunately ‘No Coast’ is the shot in the arm that this genre desperately needed. The comeback album from the Illinois band feels fresh, full of energy, and surprisingly light.
The album starts, quite literally, with a ‘Bang’ and instantly you hear those characteristically haunting vocals of frontman Bob Nanna. His distinctive tones are as powerful as ever and that should be no surprise to anyone who has kept up with his various projects over the years. ‘Bang’ has a very ‘Loses Control’ by Hey Mercedes feel and it’s exactly the opening we’d hoped for. The album then quickly gathers pace with ‘East End Hollows’ and mixes it up with the introduction of a second voice, Chris Broach. He adds a higher pitch throughout ‘No Coast’ and gives the album a great balance.
The title track, ‘No Coast’, is vintage Braid. It’s instantly appealing without ever dropping its emo-rock roots. You’ve then got the excellent ‘Many Enemies’ with the album’s best chorus to date and beefy breakdowns. This isn’t a band that has settled into their old ways, there’s markedly more enthusiasm and fun here. ‘Put Some Wings On That Kid’ crowns this approach too – it’s punchy, aggressive without being angry, and runs with an infectious energy. It then drops into this huge bridge section that’s as good as anything this band have produced. This isn’t all high energy and explosions though, ‘Light Crisis’ is more considered
‘No Coast’ is a glorious return for an important band. You’ve got the band’s reflective and detailed past blended seamlessly with this more expansive, and – it must be said – poppy feel. This may well be the spark that ignites this scene once more.
TOM BECK