Album Review: Stagecoach - Crash My Ride

The monkey chirps and howling which precedes Stagecoach’s latest offering certainly sets the tone for the remainder of their record; these five London boys bound effortlessly through six of the brightest, most eccentric and downright frivolous indie tunes you’re likely to hear this year.

It becomes evident from these bestial moans that, on Crash My Ride, anything goes. Opener ‘Hieroglyphics’ showcases this perfectly: the comic refrain of “can’t read your writing” introduces itself as a chirpy pop number, but these expectations are shattered by random interjections of blood-curdling screams.

As the EP progresses, their self-proclaimed 'grunge-tinged country' colours become clear, as ‘Good Great Better Best’ showcases the harder side of their schizophrenic style before ‘Axe Behind my Back’ and ’Headbanger’s Ball’ introduce their acoustic, but no-less mellow, personality.

Despite this, Stagecoach’s strong melodies and slick pop production verge on making them startlingly commercial, but their erratic instrumentation and sporadic vocals keep them rooted in the “quirky” category. Their potential mainstream appeal lies simply in their brilliantly crafted songs and the fantastic amount of energy captured on this record. This is made all the more exciting by their choice of sounds and instruments; the mandolin which plays out ‘Fish Tank Glow’ perfectly compliments the sentiment of “We’ll both glow out together”, and suddenly a band who were causing ocean-sized grins minutes ago begin to touch upon moments of spin-tingling excitement.

If you’re pop sensibilities are tickled more by the likes of Modest Mouse rather than Lady GaGa, Stagecoach might just be your new favourite band.

4/5

'Crash My Ride' by Stagecoach is released on July 19th through Alcopop Records.

Pre-Order 'Crash My Ride' here.

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Official Website

Alex Howick