Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

I like "Air-Conditioned Man" and the somewhat atypical "Cappuccino City" more than anything on the EPs. Such that I even bought a physical copy, which virtually never happens.

they felt a bit boorish, there was no space in the music...
Everything bled over the top of everything else so that each song was practically indistinguishable...“are we that desperate for a good indie rock band in 2018 that we’re salivating over THAT?

I'm excited to see supremely b***y comments like this, because I believe it means the band has arrived! They may not be making any magazine covers or headlining festivals within the year, but it's a start. I think the album is an improvement over the EPs. They are touring hard too, doing their second North American tour of the year this fall. When I saw them in April, the sound was crystal clear, plenty of separation. It was a small room with great acoustics. Perhaps the venues had shit sound? Or, since guitars have been so fashionable in pop and indie for a while, some brains aren't used to processing all the multiple tones snaking from three guitars?

http://fastnbulbous.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/rbcf-schubas-2018-05-02.png

"Sisters Jeans" and "How Long?" just sit there. Often their sound is so attractive that I mistake it for songs. I listen to "Bellarine," "Talking Straight," and "Cappuccino City" all the time, though.

i love sisters jeans! conversely, that's exactly how i feel about bellarine, which could've been a great song with a bit more work on it, but as it is is mostly raw materials

I love Sisters Jeans and Bellarine. Conversely, that's how I feel about How Long and Cappuccino City.

clearly the takeaway here is there is something for everyone, and they ought to have done better with how long

...and added a couple minutes to Time in Common.

you're not talking straight!

"There's fire in the west, I never did my best"

This lyrics ruin the song foe me

I only listen to songs 1-4,8,10 from the LP. Time in Common is thr best indeed. More post punk than pop. When they are less sugar-y they are beteer

Agreed re "How Long?". I'm increasingly skipping that now.

"Exclusive Grave"--the one track I haven't seen mentioned by name--is quite attractive. A rare instance where I can actually hear the Go-Betweens vibe alleged in most reviews.

Is that the one that sounds a bit like "Secondhand Furniture"?

^ Something like that! Very much 1983-84 model GBs anyway.

This album's major flaw is ending with the two least good songs.

Not really. The Hammer (last song) is great.

+1

It's good, yeah.

Also, Fran Keaney is the best songwriter out of the three

which is which?

they don't use credits, right?

Yeah they don't use credits. Just based on youtube videos

..assuming the singer is also the songwriter

To the best of my knowledge:

Fran Keany sings Wither Where You, and sort of sounds like Robert Forster. On new one he sings Time in Common and Air Conditioned Man

Joe Russo sings my alltime favorite, Heard You’re Moving. On new one he sings Mainland and Sisters Jeans.

Joe White sings Wide Eyes. On new one he sings Talking Straight and Bellarine.

This is the first band since The White Stripes where I’ve even bothered learning the band members names

band's publicist sent me this:

An Air Conditioned Man – Fran
Talking Straight - Joe W
Mainland – Tom
Time in Common – Fran
Sister’s Jeans – Fran
Bellarine – Joe W
Cappuccino City - Tom
Exclusive Grave – Tom
How Long? – Joe W
The Hammer – Tom

that's lead vocals, not songwriters

Damn, they tricked me on the Sister's Jeans. And I confused the Russo brothers. White Stripes is easier to remember.

I think i read somewhere The Hammer is a Fran tune?!

there is a lot of consistency in style, i wonder if that's just the group dynamic homogenizing or whether one of them does the bulk of the composition and maybe gives tunes to the others for lyrics/vocals

No-one told me they dig Orange Juice! Bless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBFhBK3vzBQ

hey that's sweet

Took me a few listens to finally click with the album which is unusual as I've always took an instant shine to their songs. The album feels a tad overproduced imo

New single (In The Capital) is great

It's a grower. 'Watery' was certainly my impression way before reading this:

“I first had the idea for the melody and some of the lyrics when I was swimming. It’s taken a while to finish the song, to make it feel like the initial feeling. I can’t neatly describe it, but something like connection despite distance. I was thinking about transience and water and death and big cities and fishing towns and moon river.” - Fran Keaney

The other side of the single, just released, maintains a similar mood.

I sense that ILM has cooled a little on RBCF post-LP, but there's a new song! With trumpet (?) and choreography. Not sure what to make of it, but it took me months to decide I really liked both sides of that last single, so...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G93J8FKmrn0

Not bad

..at all

new album announced and another track
https://rollingblackoutscoastalfever.bandcamp.com/album/sideways-to-new-italy

It's about time for a Joe W song.

I like how they make 'strayah look ever more like a parched wasteland with each new video.

The first single was great. The 2nd and 3rd... :(

first song one the album is great. the 2nd one not so bad so far . . .

4-5 good songs, the rest didn't really click yet.
i like them when they are less mellow/mid tempo

Had no idea the album was out

They seem to get more tidy and 'pop' without necessarily bringing many actual hooks. Though all four of the previewed tracks (plus that opener) suddenly sound pretty good bundled together like this, so there's certainly hope for the remainder.

New album is a grower. They did better stuff before, yes, but this one is pretty good too

Yeah, I've been enjoying it.

Not sure why everyone is so down on it

I like it too. There's no song as singular as "French Press", but I think it's really strong.

I think because it is more mellow and mid tempo. And rhey are known for the opposite

Xpost

I resisted listening to this because it sounded like they were going in a direction I wouldn't like, but I checked out today and really liked it. It maybe has fewer hooks than the last one, but all the cool guitar layers and band interaction is absolutely there, and sounds great.

I tend to think of these guys as jangle shoegaze.