Artist of the Day: Troubled Coast

In my humble opinion, any band that is capable of completely re-inventing themselves with each release is deserving of praise. Lately, it seems the bulk of these kinds of bands are receiving the recognition they deserve, such as Between the Buried and Me and Converge. Both reviewers and listeners seem to have acknowledged the progression they've gone through since the start of their careers. So why hasn't anyone done the same for Troubled Coast? Like BTBAM and Converge, they're a band that has consistently changed their sound, and their latest release, Awake and Empty, is simply a beast of an album.

Over the course of Troubled Coast's career, they've gone from post-punk/hardcore (Vagabonds EP), to fast-paced skater punk (100 Miles from Home), to progressive punk hardcore in the same vein as bands like Crime in Stereo (Letters). They're not afraid to try something new, and if anything, they consistently get better every time. It's the latter sound they seem to have decided to stick with, incorporating slight changes along the way to help refine their sound into something that is completely their own. Earlier this year it was with I Was Thinking of Leaving You, an EP that brought hard-hitting hooks and fairly-catchy clean vocals into the mix, and now we have Awake and Empty, which is indisputably their heaviest and most compelling release to date. Single-note breakdowns, guttural screaming and heart-wrenching lyrics drench this album, and the clean vocals have never carried so much weight, adding a new level of emotional intensity. This is the best they have ever been, and a must listen for anyone that is a fan of bands like Balance and Composure, Basement, Therefore I Am and the like.

Awake and Empty is up for streaming and purchase on Pure Noise Records' bandcamp page, as well as I Was Thinking of Leaving You. Should you decide to check out their entire discography, so you can better appreciate the growth they've gone through as a band, Letters and 100 Miles from Home is available through Creator-Destructor Records, and the Vagabonds EP is still up for pay-what-you-want on Troubled Coast's bandcamp page. It's a real eye-opener listening to them in chronological order, so I highly recommend you do so.