COIN’s third album, Dreamland, is their most vulnerable release to date, giving fans a powerful listening experience through the 44-minute album.
Over the past three years since the release of their sophomore album How Will You Know If You Never Try, the Nashville indie-pop three-piece has been perfecting their latest drop. The band knows small details make a big difference, which is why they put seamless transitions between songs, making the album sound like one masterpiece. Despite gaining quite the fanbase, they’re still the boys who met at university in Nashville, but they’ve grown together and evolved from their dorm room days, making this their most prolific release.
What makes Dreamland unique and raw is that the band refused to use a recording studio. There’s a grittiness on the album that gives it an unpolished feel that’s welcoming in an age of audio tune. Making the album on the road – in greenrooms, bedrooms, buses, and airplanes – brings a new dimension to the tracks. The album is cohesive but still gives a range, with no two songs sounding the same because as the band tweeted, “Dreamland is a patchwork quilt of moments lived in the present.”
‘Intro My Arms,’ starts the album out on a punchy note, with front man Chase Lawrence’s synth-vocals playing over snappy drumbeats and guitar riffs. It has a dance-y and upbeat quality that continues into the next track and hit single, ‘I Want It All.’ It’s the type of tune that makes people want to shout along on a long drive and it’s a signature COIN song: vibrant, catchy, and a pop ballad.
The first half of the album consists of pre-released songs, with fan favorites from 2018 like ‘Simple Romance’ and 2019’s ‘Crash My Car.’ The album takes a turn with a ninety-second cinematic and gospel-like ‘Dreamland Sequence,’ filled with a chorus of string instruments. After the interlude, the album swiftly moves back to pop ballads, with another 2018 track, ‘Cemetery’ and love song ‘Youuu.’
The only downside of the album is how many songs were pre-released. Out of the 14 songs, half of them had been singles and circulating since 2018. The second half of the album brings brand new songs, though, with energetic and pop-rock ‘Nobody’s Baby’ and slower, dreamy track ‘Lately III,’ the third version of the tune that has appeared on the previous two albums under ‘Lately’ and ‘Lately II.’
Things continue to slow down with ‘Babe Ruth,’ another love song, but this time it’s nostalgic, with a coming of age quality as Lawrence sings about young love and growing up. Transitioning perfectly into ‘Heaven Hearted,’ the tune is reminiscent of The 1975’s ‘Please Be Naked,’ with quiet vocals and synth instrumentals.
It’s time for the finale, COIN’s most vulnerable song to date. “When you love something but you’ve had enough / When you hold someone but you’re losing touch / You’re rubbing salt deep in the cut,” Lawrence sings on ‘Let it All Out (10:05).’ It’s filled with religious undertones, as he asks if Jesus is listening, as he tries to find his footing in this crazy, unpredictable world. It’s the perfect crescendo and only makes sense for the album to end on a gleam on hope after taking listeners through love, heartbreak, and growing pains. It’s dreamy like the album title, with a chorus joining Lawrence on the track, encouraging listeners to “let it all out.”
Dreamland does not disappoint. The passion and attention to detail does not go unnoticed and makes it, arguably, a masterpiece that will hopefully launch the band in The 1975-style fame. COIN wore their heart on their leave in this album, and it’s safe to say this album will be on repeat until further notice.
Rating: ★★★★☆
COIN’s third album Dreamland is now available to stream and purchase via Columbia Records.
