Canberra based post-rock quintet Lost Coast have slowly been making waves in the live music scene. Now, after three years of performing, Lost Coast have released their first full-length album; an atmospheric collection of tracks that marks a statement of purpose for the band.
Lost Coast’s self-titled release is the result of the refinement and self-discovery that comes with three years of live performing. The obliquely named tracks range from just over five minutes (Dylan) to twelve and a half minutes (Ceyx Azureus) and provide a cryptic post-rock road map to a melancholic world.
Canberra band Lost Coast release their self-titled first full-length album; a cryptic post-rock road map to a melancholic world.
It’s clear Lost Coast are emulating elements of other post-rock groups such as This Will Destroy You, but this album shows the band’s ability to develop their personal sounds. Album opener 2B is an impressive introduction to each member of the band and their discrete musical personalities. A simple four-chord structure gives every member of the quintet room for sonic experimentation, as alternating melodies and harmonies are transformed with different colours and textures.
Lost Coast maintain a consistently melancholic tone across the record, but access a wide range of moods within that scope, like a unified colour palette. The record moves with ease between moods and tones, often within one track. While The World seems full of anxious energy, subsequent track L’hermite is a gently meditative piece that transforms into an (almost) optimistic up-tempo rocker.
Over the course of the album, Lost Coast show off the refinement of their ideology. The individual minds of Lost Coasts’s three guitarists may shine through the dense soundscapes, but the band are at their best when they come together as a whole, as in late album epic Maps. Along with David, these two tracks show a maturing group developing a curated group sound.
Lost Coast have a lot to say about themselves, and the result is an album that showcases their distinct personalities alongside a growing group consciousness.
Listen to the album above.
