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Coastland Ride: On Top of the World

AOR/West Coast/Melodic Rock

4.0/5.0

Avenue of Allies/Cargo Records
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by Craig Hartranft,  12.12.2011

Whether it's by purpose or chance, Coastland Ride's name gives you a hint to their musical style. These three Swedes deliver AOR melodic rock in the West Coast tradition. Coastland Ride was formed in 1997 by three friends and musicians, Markus Nordenberg (lv,bv), Anders Rybank (k,g,b), and Mikael Bohlin (k,g), wanting to record and publish the tunes they've accumulated over the years. The first result was their eponymous debut in 2003. (Now being re-issued by their new label Avenue of Allies). Wanting to have at again, it took a little longer to bring this year's On Top of the World.

Above, Coastland Ride: matching white dress shirts and, yes, thanks for pointing out the guitar.

Expect classic West Coast AOR here: breezy easy melodies, lush vocal arrangements in harmony, catchy hooks and choruses, and brisk guitar work. That last characteristic truly brightens, even over shadows, this album. Guitar solos were provided by Sven Larsson (Street Talk, Lionville) and Leif Eriksson. Ultimately, Coastland lets the music do the talking. The easy, nearly weightless, feel of West Coast comes through on Wait, ON Top of the World, Strange Confusion, and the quirky, sometimes funky, Jericho Falls. For inspiration, a saxophone rises in Second Chance, a very nice touch. If there's a bit heavier or harder (loosely speaking) here, you might find it on Made Up My Mind and the finale Nail Me to the Cross.

At the end of the day, Coastland Ride's participants accomplish their goal: providing light melodic rock, high on harmony, melody, and accessible friendliness. If you dig the AOR West Coast sound, revisiting the mid-Seventies to mid-Eighties, you should get on On Top of the World.

On On Top of the World, Coastland Ride revisits classic West Coast AOR, with the ease and breeze of delicious melodies and lush vocal harmonies, creating friendly light melodic rock.

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The Powell Payne project, created in 2022 is the collaboration of Mark "Penfold Powell (ex-drummer of Psycho Kiss) and Adam Payne (former vocalist of Airrace). With guitarist Adam Davies and keyboard player ... [ Read More ]