Recommended Tracks: “Slack”, “222”, “Olivia”
Artists You Might Like: Valley, lovelytheband, Hippo Campus
COIN is a band and they are back, they are fearless, and not afraid of themselves anymore. The trio, based in Nashville, Tennessee consists of Chase Lawrence, Ryan Winnen, and Joe Memmel, and after the release of their 2022 record, Uncanny Valley, felt seemingly uninspired. Lawrence expressed the band’s exhaustion following that album and the tour, sharing on an Instagram post about two months ago. He explained that “it felt like we were ready to quit a little bit, like six months ago at least I was,” going on to talk about the disconnection they felt from the music and from each other.
Their fifth studio album, I’m Not Afraid Of Music Anymore is the band’s testament to their commitment to authenticity and vulnerability, confessing and facing their fears up front and even more than that, sharing them publicly with the world.
In a world where we are surrounded by everything competing for our time and attention, the album begins with “It’s Hard To Care About Everything,” discussing exactly that concept. With an easy chorus backed by a choir, the first track ultimately sheds light on being overwhelmed by choice whereas life is boiled down to whom and what we choose to surround ourselves with. “Take It Or Leave It” had its debut in Florida earlier this year at the Gasparilla Music Festival. The song begs for a clean break rather than a romance that ends slowly and painfully. “Back of mind / You’re better off with / One love, two mouths / A missed call and a pretty boyfriend” cement that the narrator sees their partner with someone else already. In an interesting end, we see a hint of self reflection from the pre chorus saying “You’re better off alone” to the outro realizing “I’m better off alone”.
Including a backing electric guitar reminiscent of early 2000s rock (The Strokes, to be specific), “Asking For A Friend” is a bittersweet play on the phrase where the song turns it into unrequited love. The band calls back to their own song “I Don’t Wanna Dance”, in the new song’s lyrics “And I don’t wanna let you down, down”, referencing their past, “I let you down / I know it / I’ll let you down over and over”. The references continue into “Slack”, dubbed as “the most COIN song ever”. This song was the final single released before the album, including more callbacks to longtime favorites “Crash My Car” and “Talk Too Much”. Lead singer Chase Lawerence said, “Slack is a love letter to our band, tying the journey together with a loose knot. Coin has been stretched in every direction, but we embrace every shape and size, even the ones that no longer fit right into place.” “Along For The Ride” feels just like that, and refers to a relationship that may just be pulled from a surface level script, nothing deeper than an act.
Addressing Hollywood, media, and fame, “Problem” immediately reminded me of 5 Seconds Of Summer’s “No Shame”, both songs including topics of what happens when you are recognized by the public eye. Referencing Malibu 1992 and Getting Older, the lyrics are cynical and mesh well with the album’s rockiest song on the album yet, “Ah, is this getting easier / Or am I just getting older? / My eyes are just getting sleepier / I’m just getting sober”. We take a complete 180 to “Blueberry Smoothie”, another song title in an increasing trend of COIN song titles that includes fruit (Cutie, and later in the album, Strawberry Jam). Upon first listen, the song can be a metaphor for someone sticking around, their impression lasting. However it has been debunked that the song is actually more literal than anything else.
“222” had me picturing William Miller from Almost Famous, as he fell for Penny Lane, with lyrics “And she said, “Every time you fall in love / You wanna meet the band / Oh honey, every time I leave / I hope you understand, understand”. Considered an “angel number”, “222 can be a confirmation about those current choices, or it can alert you that there are important partnerships coming in the near future.” The piano twinkles sprinkled in after the first chorus and again after lines in the verses gives the soft song a unique touch, really leaning into something dreamlike. The “Growing Song” leads someone to believe that it’s about growing apart from another person while it is actually about shedding an older version of yourself. It includes an instrumental break at the 2 minute mark including strings, fingerpicking, and flighty backing vocals, reminiscent of George Daniels’ production with The 1975’s interlude songs. “Bloodtype” follows, and has a distinctly country feel, like a song sung around a bonfire. Their use of an electric guitar and backing synths keeps this from being too twangy. “Olivia” is an easy listen, using G and D chord variations and again refers to another one of the band’s songs “Nobody’s Baby”.
The first look into I’m Not Afraid Of Music Anymore was with the lead single, “Strawberry Jam”. Nostalgic and bittersweet, this upbeat song includes whistling and a harmonica, and details the narrator’s inability to stay. Despite being self aware, he says “I leave you there in a parking lot / But I set off like a rolling stone / And I apologize to you, and I apologize for that”, and ends up leaving in the end anyway, as detailed in the last couplet of lyrics, “She said it, she said it, she said, she said / Why you leaving me?”
Nearing the end of the album is “Sing Along”, a relationship’s inevitable end even after working at it for so long. Begins with an ideal, but it is ultimately something unattainable. “I wish my words were sweet / They grow like lemon trees”, the lyrics go, referring to making lemonade on his own earlier in the album. In a bittersweet end, “Leaving A Light On” is a promise that you can return to something even after it has ended, the option is always there. There lies a comfort in this sentiment, lyrics ending with an insinuation “This might be a mistake, but / I’m beggin’ you”.
The US leg of COIN’s I’m Not Afraid of Tour Anymore begins in just under two weeks in Omaha, Nebraska. With support from Aidan Bissett and Rebounder, you can find tickets here to see this album and more live this fall.
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