The debut of Boston-based trio
Honey Cutt,
Coasting is technically the second full-length from the group, who were calling themselves
Baby! in 2017 when they delivered
Sunny, F.L. Both albums showcase the sunny, surf-inflected indie pop of bandleader
Kaley Honeycutt, who tints her warm, buoyant melodies with vulnerable, musing lyrics. An improvement in recording quality and songwriting consistency over its predecessor,
Coasting (their
Kanine Records debut) puts their best foot forward yet from a discography that also includes a prior EP. The infectious "Vacation" kicks things off with guitar work by
Honeycutt that recalls the bouncy
Johnny Marr jangle of uptempo
Smiths on its way to a catchy, lilting chorus that rivals
the Go-Go's track of the same name.
Honeycutt's vocals are more pensive and sepia-toned than
Carlisle's as they convey the also-isolationist sentiment "I'm on a vacation/From all the 'nice guys'/And I'm turning off my phone/And I'm throwing it in the water." She explores a manicured form of expectation in the '60s-styled "Suburban Dream" and something similarly superficial in the dream poppy "Fashion School" before the shimmery, tempo-shifting title track remembers her having to stay strong for her mother when times were tough during childhood. Languid and nostalgic, "All I Have" ("You meant something to me") slows things down for the more-wistful final third of the album, which also includes the reverb-washed "Gentleness" and its distorted shades of doo wop.
Coasting closes with ill-fated love on "Love Me, Still," a song with guitar that alternates between churning chords and efficient countermelody. Those guitar lines, along with memorable main melodies, are what make
Honey Cutt stand out from the crowd and
Coasting a must for fans of beachy indie pop. ~ Marcy Donelson