North East Coastal Town. LIFE

LIFE (all capitols stop here) is from Hull and releases its second album this week. Musically the band falls straight into the generation alternative rockers coming out of Dublin and the U.K in the last five years. With the first single and album opener 'Friends Without Names' the direction and intent of Life seems clear immediately. Fontaines D.C. would have been proud to come up with a single like this. (In fact, Life seems to have absorbed all the energy 'Skinty Fia' more or less shunned.) It rocks, the song is incredibly cool and the lyrics focus almost exclusively on the title that is repeated over and over again.

It is only a part of the story though. Life is far more diverse than suggested by 'Friends Without Names'. Of course, falling in with the new alternative rockers, is falling in with 1980s alternative, doom and gloom bands, with lumping on all the far more melodic (Brit)pop rock having been recorded in the 30 years plus in between.

This combination comes out excellently in the second single, and second song on North East Coastal Town, 'Big Moon Lake'. A huge sound, the shredding of snares and a masterly use of dynamics. I do not know about hits anymore in 2022, this is one in my book. Excitement, danceable, sing-along, 'Big Moon Lake' contains and provides it all. Any venue and festival will explode caused by the explosions within this song.

'Almost Home' falls in with the best The Netherlands has to offer today. Bands like Tramhaus, Global Charming, etc., all deliver songs and albums on this level and more. Three songs and so much variety. It shows the diversity Life is capable of staging, successfully I should add. This is just the start as North East Coastal Town will take you still further.

The band has a second voice becoming more prominent as the record progresses. Just one more of the little surprises Life presents. The weirdest thing is that this album can give the impression it contains softer numbers as well. Try and find them when you pay real attention to the album! It's almost illusive.

One of the titles on the album is 'Excite Me'. At first I heard "excitement". If I ever heard a title nailing exactly what the song presents, it is this one, I thought. In the meantime I was excited alright. Mission accomplished, I'd think. It is the kind of excitement Maxïmo Park was so good in offering; until the second half of its second album that is. Add a tougher singer and you have a song like 'Hollow Thing'. Life can be tough when it wants to but is not afraid of shying away from toughness and just be a rock band.

I only have one question left. Why do I like Shame, Fontaines D.C. and now Life and not Idles, TV Priests? I do not have a clear answer, except that the distinction is very clear to me. Life is on my good, what?, better side and lands just so well.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order North East Coastal Town here:

https://lifebanduk.bandcamp.com/album/north-east-coastal-town