Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Sideways To New Italy review

arcticreviewsblog,

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (The last two words of their cumbersome title have now been abbreviated to just C.F.) are a quintet from Melbourne who scored the sort of success with their 2018 debut Hope Downs which has become a modern rarity for guitar bands. Obsessed with the sort of 20th century indie jangle of early R.EM. and countryfolk The Go Betweens, it’s consolation in the upbeat eventually made them festival staples around the world.

Eighteen months on a plane or bus however can make the heart grow fonder for old neighbourgoods and whilst Sideways To New Italy no more resembles home in character than their first album, it’s in part a musical scrapbook of memories and faces they’ve missed whilst away.

Musically the score is the same, a dousing with the now familiar three-pronged guitar attack that gives the likes of The Second Of The First and Cars In Space that tumbling energy which connected so well before. This may be their orthodox, but Sunglasses At The Wedding and love-dappled The Only One are welcome, gentler ripples.

Sideways To New Italy is like a love letter you write before you’ve even left them for your trip, wrapped up inside a confident record which is more than happy in it’s bubble.

You can read the full review here.

Published by arcticreviewsblog

Hi, my name is Andy & I live in Leeds, in northern England. I've been writing about music for more than ten years. My work outside of this blog is featured on Live4ever and Contact Music.