By Kelsey Simpkins – http://theauralpremonition.weebly.com/
It’s a no-brainer that Greycoats’ latest release, Adrift, should attract a good deal of attention. It’s the third album created by a band comprised of four veteran musicians, with a loyal and adamant fan base, based on the eternal concept of space and time, recorded and produced by the band itself. At a point in time when just getting positive press coverage or a quality write-up is itself almost enough to solidify a band’s existence, that same simple act doesn’t do this group justice.
The presence that this four-piece holds in Minneapolis and Saint Paul extends far beyond the stage. Matt Patrick (bass, guitar, vocals) owns and operates The Library, a niche recording studio in NE Minneapolis, that has birthed many a beloved local artist and album (think Messersmith, John Mark Nelson, etc). Mike Smith (drums, vocals), is an owner of Forage Modern Workshop on East Lake Street in Minneapolis, one of the best furniture businesses here in well, the business. Jon Reine’s (vocals, guitar, keys) talents lie in the communication of words, and not only through the ones he sings. And Titus Decker’s (keys, guitar, vocals) knowledge extends far beyond just the analog and digital worlds of musical equipment. Whereas some bands struggle to focus on either their day or night gigs, while attempting to supplement the other, Greycoats is a power team: professionals from dawn through dusk, the end product betraying no sign of sacrifice for one side or the other.
From the catchy guitar riff at the opening of “John Glenn Blues,” to the haunting echoes in “Cleopatra,” to the calming echoes in “Voyagers,” Adrift draws you in to its deep space journey, taking you farther into the cosmos than any indie album before it. Their previous, World of Tomorrow, was a celebration, a look back into the past and another time since gone. Reflecting elements of Radiohead, it had a poppy and grungy backbone, one you could rock out or dance to. But Adrift is something else entirely, a glimpse into the future, from which there may be no return. You can hear a passing thought like the less-recent work of Muse or other epic indie rockers, float through on driving and gorgeous songs like “Knights of Lake Ladoga.” These parallels reflect no lack of novelty, but rather a modern relevance and experimentation in a direction that many current bands have left behind.
“The Decider” is an iconic example of what Greycoats does best, as it mixes a variety of aural elements, both instrumental and electronic. The match of the band’s vision, Reine’s vocal timbre, and their execution are a rare and seamless combination – and this fact is reflected in almost every tune. They accomplish – in their maturity, talent, and hard work – a sound and identity that is unmistakably their own. Spending three years on an album may seem like bad marketing strategy to some, but for Greycoats and their growing fan base here and across the country: if you record it, they will listen. And it would be a great mistake not to; Adrift as the rock album that could save the masses from bleeding out their ears listening to bad radio repeats, no matter how alternative the station.
While it builds and drives, rocks and rolls, Adrift is a more mellow fare for the ear overall. Its openness allows for the sounds to breathe, to be heard individually, for the mind to float among them. So while you could call it energetic, Greycoats’ latest appeals to something more than the body, as it declares love for the moon and the worlds beyond – instead of proclaiming desire for the physical. In experiencing this album, it calls for body, mind, and soul. The question is, will you answer?
https://greycoats.bandcamp.com/album/adrift
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