Album Review: Coastal Fire Department- Outsiders

UK Post Grunge Newcomers Coastal Fire Department ” get a kick out being an outsider”. The theme of their latest LP, Outsiders, released via L’islet Records.

The quartet was formed a decade ago in Guernsey Since then, Coastal Fire Department has gained a reputation for continually evolving its sound. Outsiders is a follow-up to 2021’s debut album, Connected, which sees the band create a guitar-driven record with lyrical content based on social observations and stories. The album’s swirling guitars, angular vocals and tongue-in-cheek perspective on life are expected to win them over a new following.

Recorded by QOTSA producer Kelli Scott, the aggressive opening riff to ‘What I Do’ is a slab of 2000’s post-grunge with cascading vocal melodies and a singer in deep reflection. Next is the emotive ‘Cry Your Heart Out’, a sound reflective of radio-friendly rock acts like Editors.

CFD aim to write tracks that appeal to the members of society that feel undervalued. Outsiders is an anthem for those people with observations of everyday situations that would otherwise go unnoticed. The rousing ‘Gentleman’ is one such example. Its ferocious guitars, pounding drums and the cries of lead vocalist Ollie Goddard is a standout track out of the opening songs.

The album picks up momentum with the angst-driven ‘Gun’ and the dark grooves of ‘Stranger Town’. It takes CFD time but soon develops a sharp, grunge sound reminiscent of acts like Pixies and Nirvana.

Ollie Goddard is the whimsical lyricist regaling stories of old over the dirty, distorted riffs of himself and lead guitarist John Langlois. Bassist Saad Frihmat’s thick basslines come to prominence in the Pixies cover ‘Gouge Away’, whilst drummer Ozzy Austin keeps those tom-tom beats going throughout without missing a rhythm.

Overall, Coastal Fire Department creates a sound for the outsiders with a rock genre made specifically for outsiders. The album takes time to get into, but they prevail with a unique collection of rock tracks for the masses.

Rating: 8/10

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Gentleman