I am sure if I have spoken to you in the last year or so, this band has come up in at least one conversation.
Well, get ready for another year of the same thing as Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are back again with their second LP ‘Sideways to New Italy’ released June 5th.
Success hit this band with their debut album ‘Hope Downs’ in 2018, which held stand-out tracks like ‘Talking Straight’, ‘Mainland’ and ‘Exclusive Grave’, and was no. 18 in NME’s top 100 albums of 2018.
Following on from 2018, the Aussie outfit toured twice in the UK and went on to release their EP ‘In the Capital’ in 2019 holding two pre-recorded tracks that didn’t make the album; ‘In the Capital’, and ‘Read My Mind’.
But what sets this band apart are the distinctive voices of all three singers Fran Kearney, Tom Russo, and Joe White.
Interchanging between tracks and setting up their showreel while encompassing guitar extracts straight from The War on Drugs and The Go-Betweens that gel this group together.
Now, 2020 has seen another revival to improve what has been a dismal year with a 10-track album to analyse.
Opening up with ‘The Second of the First’, we reminisce to a sound that we have got accustomed to from the Melbourne group; rhythm guitar hitting new levels and a vibrant bass-line with a surprising hit of spoken word thrown in to add a deeper meaning to the upbeat tempo.
Straight from this into ‘Falling Thunder’ where the music video is all phone footage (in portrait) from beautiful locations including Islands in Italy like Sicily and Sardegna.
The track has similarities of what we have known since the days of ‘Mainland’, the plucking guitar through the verses and easy tempo of the drums but consisting of a shorter solo than usual.
Up next, ‘She’s There’. An interesting music video, but it is the lyrics from Joe that stand out; “I opened the letter but the writings wrong. I should have done better, but the time rolls on.” No regrets, but the constant reminder is still there.
Considering Joe also sang ‘Talking Straight’ from the first album, you get moments within this track and video which resonate with that song. A sure thing.
There is some stand out tracks throughout. One of their first singles from the album released ‘Cars in Space’. Holding parts of ‘French Press’ and ‘An Air Conditioned Man’ with this song encompassing so much of what fans love.
Featuring a trumpet-sounding style, a highlight is the guitar solo building up into an orchestrated piece. Pure delight with a nice choreographed dance in the music video.
‘Cameo’ follows on and a favourite with the descriptive lyrics of meeting someone who instantly grabs their attention while having raw vocal sound.
This is something different to your average RBCF track, but one of Fran Kearney’s better vocal pieces.
Following the noted tracks there lies quality in songs like ‘The Only One’ and ‘Not Tonight’, but the final two tracks are not songs you would recommend to first listeners.
Whether it is worth making a comparison, there were more notable favourites in ‘Hope Downs’, yet this album has so many positives in terms of overall feel.
If you want a summer vibe record to accompany your BBQ and high life in the sun, then there is no better.
To be honest, you might as well put on their whole catalogue.
What makes this better (more good news?!), the Melbourne act will be touring the UK and Ireland in March with tickets already on sale.
Just a shame there are no festivals this summer.
I hope this album pushes the five-piece act to new levels and gives them the exposure they deserve.
I mean, I cannot think of many better acts with an authentic, crisp sound.
So next time I see you, expect to hear; “Have you heard of Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever?”
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