When the first drum hit rang out at Fort Lauderdale venue Revolution Live on Feb. 1, a crowd of several hundred had the lyrics of “Feeling” poised on their breath, ready to belt them out. It’s clear that Nashville indie band COIN has amassed a small but loyal following.
The band headlines a tour for the first time with their “North American tour.” COIN sits in the liminal space between underground stasis and pop breakout. With radio hits “Run” and “Talk Too Much,” the band shows promise of moving into the popular sphere but has yet to earn the massive fanbase it’ll need to get there. As the title of its 2017 album, “How Will You Know if You Never Try,” suggests, this tour is the band’s chance to take musical risks and impress its image on the United States.
At first listen, COIN’s sophomore LP delivers the sugar-high sound of bands like Walk the Moon and Neon Trees, calling on beachy, bright guitar lines and persistent cymbals. With choruses about kisses, fleeing commitment and fearing everyone’s watching on the dance floor, the band carves a niche in the twenty-something party scene. A closer analysis of the lyrics shows attempts at profundity that fall flat, like, “Don’t cry, it’s all going to be all right,” and “Oh! How it could have been.” Yet the album makes up what it lacks in lyrical maturity with clean sound and the promise of fun, both of which defined the band’s live performance.
COIN delivered an infectiously bouncy set of indie-pop from start to finish. It turned the small venue, well-known for its punk-rock clientele, into a polychromatic dance hall with 80s-inspired lights and sounds.
Most importantly, the band was having fun. Lead vocalist Chase Lawrence climbed on top of the bass drum, mashed his keyboard and danced on the balcony throughout his set. The rest of the band members, equally into their jamming, seemed to resonate with the singer’s signature phrase, “You are home.” As relatively new touring musicians, COIN’s confidence on foreign stages – its ability to make any place “home” – is an invaluable asset. With catchy tunes and a trendy aesthetic, COIN’s time in the spotlight is just around the corner.
Follow COIN on social media @coin_music or www.thisiscoin.com.