Coach Party – After Party EP

Label: Chess Club
Released: 20th April 2021

There are few things more exciting than an already promising band, notably improving their sound. On second EP ‘After Party’, Isle of Wight four-piece Coach Party have done just that, armed with a new sense of purpose and a heavily refined sonic palette.

Driven by a buzzing urgency and a growing demand for authenticity, the record explores an all too familiar set of struggles: depression, heartache, self-loathing and anxiety. “I’m sorry I’m intense, I just feel a bit on edge,” vocalist Jess Eastwood sings on aptly named ‘i’m sad’, unafraid of laying bare her darkest thoughts. It’s this kind of confessional lyricism combined with punchy vocals and a defiant “I don’t need your pity” instrumentation –read: angular guitars, forward charging drums and an anthemic undertone- that gives ‘After Party’ a tangy flavour and Coach Party a captivating edge.

Whether they are confronting a controlling partner on ‘Crying Makes Me Tired’, diving into a pool of self-reflection on ‘Everybody Hates Me’ or playing with swelling riffs and dynamic soundscapes on closing number ‘Sweetheart’, Coach Party have taken the lessons of their debut EP and turned them into an inviting and concise body of work that reflects their maturity whilst keeping a youthful character that allows them to accessorise their solemn musings with roaring solos and mosh-pit worthy choruses. 

‘After Party’, more than anything, feels like a statement of intent, a brilliant record that sees Coach Party re-introduce themselves and give a hopeful glimpse into the future where an album is starting to take shape on the horizon.