New Music Review - ‘Next To Me’ the EP by Coast Arcade
Next To Me the debut EP by Coast Arcade was released on the 19th May 2023. Artwork provided by Coast Arcade from their EPK.
Being that you’ve come to Welcome to the Gig and potentially been here before, you will have certainly heard of Auckland legends, Coast Arcade, who have been making these surfy waves across the board that have got everyone completely absorbing their soothing, indie-rock-punk music.
Chris, Thom, Bella and Nate have made light of the fact that they’ve gained some massive attention as of late, which has led to them recently releasing their debut EP, Next To Me, which is a five-track blast that flexes on what you can be treated to from Coast Arcade.
Starting off the EP is the title track, Next To Me, which is a flawlessly brilliant tune to bring it in full speed. It has this twang of a dream sequence of events that are entwined into the tune which is paired perfectly with the guitar rhythm and smooth slightly grungy vocalism from frontwoman, Bella.
Highest Heights has everybody’s mouths talking and the hips popping - with over 60k listens on Spotify alone, Coast Arcade have certainly pulled listeners into their web to get them tangled in this wildly, intensely, catchy web they’ve weaved. Highest Heights comes in full force, taking the wind out of your chest and knocking you flat on the ground with the immense perfection that it serves. Evidently, it is obvious why this one is a major fan favourite.
Salty Blonde is the one song that I am particularly happy that has made the cut for the EP - Coast Arcade had done a backyard session during a covid lockdown of the song and during those couple of years since, it has stuck with me and has always been a favourable delight to go back to listen to while waiting for the EP to drop. Even though I only went around singing the lyrics “my salty blonde…” every few weeks, I’m over the moon that we finally have a recorded version of the tune. As with everything that Coast Arcade do, it has some cheeky moments to it which adds personality to the song. Salty Blonde is such an underrated tune that will surely have you also singing along each time you hear it. Salty Blonde is a timeless indie-rock piece of art that I’m sure other listeners will be in agreeance with that statement.
Surf Club is yet another round of fireworks to light up your world. When Surf Club was initially released as a single, I had played it on repeat the entire weekend that it had come out. You know it’s overly phenomenal when you’ve only got one song that you’re listening to for an entire 48 hours (okay, maybe not the full 48 hours, but you get it). Surf Club genuinely feels like it is on an entirely different planet of greatness and I think it will forever be at the top played of the list of Coast Arcade songs for me. There is just something about this delectable, enticing mid to high-mid rock sound that is effortlessly poured out from the track from these four surf rockers. The words sung throughout the tune are also just impeccable. It truthfully makes you want to go out there for a surf in the cold weather that we are currently having. Whether you are a surfer or not, this one is going to appeal to all of your taste buds (or ear buds because other than the salt water, you can’t physically taste anything, but again, you get the drift!)
Just Peachy has some of my absolute favourite lyrics in place, such as “you’re just a thorn, in short that means you’re a prick…” and it makes me laugh every single time. The pure honesty that Coast Arcade have given here has given this EP a whole other side to the band. They have outrageously contagious personalities that are highly prominent in this song and Just Peachy will get you into the ultimate groove for anything you’ve got to do.
Overall, Next To Me presents this intense versatility that gets thrown out to sea in order to catch the fish (well, listeners) and comes back with more than expected when being reeled back in.
The way every instrument mashes so perfectly together to create such a wild ride throughout the five tracks is unbelievable. Coast Arcade know what they are aiming for and can see the major career they have ahead of them. They won’t stop for anything, which is a highly ambitious move that all of us can take a cue from in our daily lives.
Next To Me so far, wins the “award” for Welcome to the Gig’s EP of the year, rightfully so.
Well done, Coast Arcade, for creating something so special for the world to indulge in!
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Coast Arcade Interview - WTTG