If you live on the west coast and haven’t heard of Lovecoast yet, this summer may be your last chance to get on it before everyone else beats you to it. Former “Play at Tall Tree” contest winners and Zone Band of the Month, Lovecoast have been making headway into the local scene longer than you’ve probably realized (which sounds like it may or may not be the driving force behind the track “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” but I can’t be sure. Though, with a chorus that repeats “we’ve been on the stage for far too long; it’s about time you move” I’ll take my chances).
I don’t know if Lovecoast is funk or soul or ska or rock and I’m not sure that I care. Their new EP, “The Trip,” is what summer on the west coast feels like. Bright, sunny, deep, and energetic; it’s tough to not find your groove somewhere in their latest 10 track offering. Like a winding island backroad on the way to your favourite lake, “The Trip” is both consistent and familiar, but with enough twists and turns to keep you paying attention to the road.
“Play for Keeps” is the jazziest number on the album and yet is somehow also the most rock and roll. Title track “The Trip” is both personal, emotional and will absolutely get you off the deck chair and dancing. The near-single “The Floor” is a little piece of left coast house party perfection that smells vaguely of salt water, suntan lotion and marijuana, while “Take What I Can” is either a touching bonfire confessional or a morning after regret.
“The Trip” is easy groove listening at its independent best, and Lovecoast have created an album worthy of your time in the sun. This is something to blast on the way to Tofino or for an afternoon of beers on a downtown patio. We may still be a couple weeks away from the official start of summer, but there’s no reason why we can’t get the party started early.
“The Trip” is streaming now and available for pre-order. Lovecoast is performing as part of the Victoria Ska and Reggae festival on June 23, 2018.