[rating=2.50]
No frills straight ahead rock and roll is what the River City Tanlines offer up on their newest release Coast to Coast. Lead guitarist, singer/songwriter and front woman Alicja Trout has constructed some tight knit pop rock with a punky vibe as the trio (Terrance Bishop- Bass, John Bonds- Drums) work their way through this ten song release.
From writing a catchy number about not having a rehearsal space with “Pretty Please” to the invigorating “When I Became You” which contains pumping drums and unique changes elevating the tempo the group seems to have their style down. However, River City Tanlines formula is much more successful when they keep the tunes brief, the longer numbers here (“Lights” is one example), start to drag halfway through and seem a chore by the end.
The lighter side of things works better like when the sweet pop sounds of “Stop My Heart” get roughed up briefly via a skuzzed up guitar solo. The first single “I Don’t Get It” motors to kick things off while the straight ahead “Can’t Stand U Anymore” flows fast serving as a nice one-two punch with “Can You Handle This Heart”; these are all disk highlights. The album never becomes too heavy or aggressive and the flashes of catchy songwriting raise Coast to Coast above most.
