Candy Coffins – Once Do It With Feeling

By RingMaster Review on December 10, 2022 • ( 0 )

Described as chronicling “a relationship from the onset of the first crack to its complete crumbling dissolution”, it is fair to say that Once Do It With Feeling is an emotively charged and, in terms of its breath and heart, an unsettled proposition. The new album from US outfit CANDY COFFINS is also one fascinating and unpredictable encounter which over time has buried itself deep in the imagination and rich enjoyment.

Columbia, South Carolina hailing CANDY COFFINS was formed in 2018, after the disbanding of his previous band CROWN THE CAKE, by vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Jame Lathren with hometown guitar legend Tom Alewine (Bachelors of Art). Its full line-up was soon in place with the addition of bassist Alex Mabrey, keyboardist Justin Purdy and former IRON & WINE touring drummer Jonathan Bradley. They create a sound mixing new wave, post-punk, indie and darkwave essences with the inspiration of bands such JOY DIVISION, THE CURE, THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE, and SPIRITUALIZED taken in and wrap it around Lathren’s openly emotive angst fuelled songwriting. As the new album proves, it is a fascinating and unpredictable proposal which offers expectations no home and the imagination a canvas to explore. Once Do It With Feeling also provided a landscape of enterprise which sometimes sparked almost euphoria in our attention and pleasure and from start to finish fascinated and incited the keenest enjoyment.

Once Do It With Feeling opens with Every Day A Fresh Atrocity, the track opening up like a dawn of a new day soaked in melodic light and possibilities. The emotive words and delivery of Lathren are soon sharing their heart as Mabrey’s tenebrific bassline lines up against the suggestive jangle and enflamed spirals of guitar and the warm hug of Purdy’s keys, tension and anxiety straining in every shadow and tempestuous breath of the outstanding track.

The unease and angst within songs and the post punk air they often share remind in some ways of Adrian Borland in writing and THE SOUND in breath, next up The Falling Man a potent example and captivation with its dour heart and vibrant dexterity. There is an inherent catchiness to the song even as keys smoulder and vocals plead, a virulence which marks most tracks including Seaside Girls. A “tribute to the playful abandon of youth”, the song has a sense of The Psychedelic Furs to its summery stroll but again a song with tribulation in its instincts and volatility in its sounds even as it celebrates the objects of its affection.

Shadow draped calmness follows through Abject, its contemplation bred in lamentation and sorrow. Intimation echoing and lit by guitars and keys respectively with another great bassline it swiftly enthralled while Tangled Up In Teacups offered a dance of emotive turbulence to equally grip attention. Hope and doubt, sorrow and resignation revolve within its compelling body, light and dark textures just as ably woven and wrapped around the emotive dilemma cast by the band in sound and enterprise.

Both French Exit with its plaintive emotive elegy and the symphonic intimation of Another Kiss held attention tightly gripped, the outstanding latter especially enthralling with its CURE meets THE VERVE like scent while A Victory Like This raised the ante again with its melancholic drama and dark rapture, again Mr Borland and co coming to mind as the track seduced.

The final pair of Cold Crypts and Peel Off The Stars similarly left us greedy for more, the first a predacious slice of dark rock with virulence in every aspect shared and the second a heartfelt mourning for love with the darkest shadows of inevitability and sorrow. There is no escaping its Cure inspiration either or its haunting magnetism as the release comes to a potent and compelling close.

Once Do It With Feeling is a record which though we got on well straight away has truly and increasingly hit the spot with every subsequent listen. Its moments where we really connected were scintillating but with keen uniqueness throughout it is a record from start to finish which firmly fascinated and impressed.

Once Do It With Feeling is out now; available @ https://candycoffins.bandcamp.com/album/once-do-it-with-feeling