Album Review

Stagecoach – Crash My Ride EP

• 22nd Jul 2010

Fancy six generous slices of earcandy? This EP is six tracks you’ll want to hear again and again, each of which sounds like a celebration of life.

It’s a relief that the Surrey-based five-piece never made country music as they originally intended, because what they have made is such an auditory delight. If you coated the Wannadies in sugar, gave them a selection of weapons, and took them to the funfair, you’d get something that resembled Stagecoach’s weird and wonderful music.

You can tell from the songtitles alone that Stagecoach are going to bring you something different. There are clean, funky, folksy riffs and layers of harmonies; the occasional joyfully dropped swearword; a dash of violence;and of course, lyrics about watching ‘Buffy’… After a barrage of their easily-recognisable, feel-good sound, the EP ends on a mellow (but oddly-themed as ever) slow-song with a hint of their country influences,”Fish Tank Glow.”

This rapturously jangly band (in their own words) “bubble/like a can of Coke,” with some cool as ice lyrics and a fresh twist of irony.