Last Updated on February 7, 2024, 3:22 PM | Published: February 7, 2024
To say that a band defies easy categorization or is difficult to define is usually the mark of some particular weirdness, some wholehearted embrace of left-field, even off-putting sounds and niche fringeness.
But on the opposite end of the same spectrum, you’ll often find artists that feel so comfortably mature and so confidently self-assured that they don’t fall easily into one category or genre or sound because they’re just doing what they do.
Turns out, if you stick five of that kind of artist together, you get something that’s both surprisingly hard to describe, and absolutely, fantastically listenable.
That’s Coat, the simply, starkly named new OKC indie supergroup that’s finally dropping their debut EP on streamers Friday, February 9th.
Coat brings together members of some recent hipster-rock staples with Riley Joseph and Ryan McGuire of Twiggs and Justin McCullough of Swim Fan alongside Alex Coleman – formerly of the once-poised-for-domination Horse Thief – and soulful, commanding singer/songwriter Hannah Edmondson.
But rather than simply dropping some alt-folk influence on top of some swaggering, mustachioed indie-pop, Coat carve out a wholly different sound for themselves, one probably most closely rooted in the 90s trip-hop of Portishead.
It’s chill, but biting. Passionate, but composed, almost electronic.
Guitar lines and keyboard leads bubble and seethe out through washes of reverb and chorus while the finely tuned-and-tightened rhythm section of McGuire and McCullough stays dry and urgent, even on the most relaxed, sultry tracks.
There’s texture and airiness and enough space to walk around and get lost in the songs, but it’s kept in check by an always sharply pointed Edmondson, who manages to stay mysterious without coldness and soulful without affectation.
If you can’t tell, it’s a lot of things all at once. Luckily, It’s as easy to enjoy as it is difficult to categorize.
A big part of that is due to the EP’s production, handled by Coleman, City Cinema’s Michael Trepangier, and cross-genre, instrument-juggling Johnny Manchild, none of whom is a stranger to infusing soul and R&B into rock territory.
But Coat is something different, still. It’s probably wrong to even call it rock, honestly.
Given the backgrounds and established audiences of the members’ other projects, they’ll likely be cast into that nebulous catch-all “indie-rock,” but that might actually do a disservice to a sound way more akin to the best R&B experimentalism of late-60s Stax Records or sometimes even the darkest, most mysterious Sade.
Even the open Middle Eastern influence of the EP’s sole instrumental “Charmer” more easily recalls the same affectation in 90s British electronica than anything in the modern Western rock canon.
The songs themselves grapple with dashed hopes and disappointments and the cycles of faith, lies, and broken trust that are so easy to fall into.
It makes sense, then, that the final track, “Say Goodbye,” is a downtempo repeat of opener “Back to Bite,” an expertly conceptual stab at that feeling of falling right back into the same holes, the same roles, and the same bad habits and histories.
I have no idea if there’s an intentional narrative arc to these songs, but I’d believe it.
Like any good charmer, these tracks each draw you in with mystique and sensuality and maybe even an odd familiarity you can’t quite put your finger on, only to reveal a deeper dark side with closer inspection.
Fortunately, like any good coat, they also remain warm, comfortable, and stylish every time you come back to them.
Coat’s self-titled debut EP is available now on Bandcamp at coattheband.bandcamp.com and drops on streaming services Friday, February 9th everywhere.
Follow Coat on Instagram at @coat.music.
And … This!
To celebrate the streaming release of their debut EP, Coat will be hitting the stage at 51st St. Speakeasy on February 9th for a joint release party alongside LABRYS, who will be marking the long-awaited drop of “10:10,” the new full-length collection of recent singles.
The songs that make up “10:10” are each devastating, bold, and among the very best of recent local releases, bookended beautifully by dual standouts “Gimme Something” and “Satisfaction.”
If you haven’t been keeping up with the persistent, continually vital flood of singles from LABRYS over the past couple of years, this collection is the perfect way to hear what you’ve been missing.
“10:10” by LABRYS is streaming everywhere now.
Catch Coat and LABRYS together on stage at The Speak this Friday, February 9th.
For tickets and more info, visit 51stspeakeasy.com or follow @the_speak on Instagram.
Follow LABRYS online at @iamlabrys on Instagram.
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
