Kent-based duo The New Coast may not yet be a household name, but if they continue to release tracks like ‘Cool Off’, they soon will be. This catchy synth-based song follows up on their incredibly well-received single ‘Tear Us Apart’, which BBC’s Abbie McCarthy selected as her track of the week when she first heard it. ‘Cool Off’ is sure to make similar waves as it finds its way to radio stations near you.
The track revolves around disconnection. Beginning with a heartfelt first verse, a heavy drum beat kicks in, and the duo spring into a catchy if simple chorus which can be envisioned firing out on radio stations and making arenas bounce. ‘Cool Off’ is framed around attraction and the pain of letting go and taking a step back, of which the lyric “you’d look good with someone new” is a pertinent reminder. Nick Blyth and Chris Cheater explain that the track “reflects the throwaway comments of a throwaway culture”, which when applied to relationships can be seen as the desire to find something new rather than fix what is wrong.
The duo are not unscarred from this culture, noting that their “way to feel more secure is to say, “it’s over and done with”’. The emotions that they bare are clear for all to see in the drumless verses which dissect the inability to let go and move on, reminding themselves that they were only half of a failing relationship. The raw power of the lyrics is contrasted with the upbeat pop-style backing track, the result being that the song’s power is delivered at a whole range of levels.
You may think the duo sound somewhat familiar, with comparisons with the sound of The 1975 being drawn. This is no coincidence. In an interview with Wonderland Magazine, Chris Cheater notes his influences, explaining how he listens to “a lot of Bad Suns, Jack Garratt, The 1975 and the Neighbourhood”. These resonate throughout ‘Cool Off’ with backing tracks reminiscent of The 1975 and an alt-pop summer vibe throughout.
Both ‘Tear us apart’ and ‘Cool Off’ are catchy and hugely promising singles which only intensify the anticipation that surrounds the release of the duo’s seven-track EP, titled Valentino Red, which is due to debut in late 2020. Blyth and Cheater have set the bar high with their singles to date, and if they can keep producing tracks of this quality they are sure to be on the fast track to success.
Words by Ben Browning