CD: Awake & Empty Artist: Troubled Coast Label: Pure Noise Records Rating: 4/5 Best Song: Twenty Reviewer: Cole Faulkner

When Troubled Coast unleashed their debut mini-album Letters, the East Bay group caught me off guard with their highly developed post-hardcore poise.  Their maturity of style falls into that challenging to pinpoint realm of Brand New meets The Saddest Landscape without living in the shadow of the peers.  So it’s hardly a surprise that their sophomore full length, Awake and Empty, not only fills those shoes, but also goes up a few sizes in maturity and compositional knowhow.

Key to the Troubled Coast sound, front man Mike Scornaienchi’s heavily emo-influenced vocals remain a showstopper all the whicle branching into cleaner territory.  Opener “Brother” highlights his emotional anguish with a sincerity expressed by few and perfected by even less.  Lyrics shine through the accompanying time signatures with bleating immediacy, emphasized by a plethora of backing voices with a shockingly vast variety of styles.  Tracks like “Winter” introduce a chorus of clean vocals, whereas those supporting in neighbouring “Confidence” take a nod from the likes of Hot Water Music.  “1967” features a high whine, like something from the early 00’s, and “Lonely States” concludes with a melodic overlay seemingly in competition with Scornaienchi’s every word.  

Musically the group achieves difference of song across all ten songs, and while most post-hardcore outfits spill into the forty-minute plus mark, Troubled Coast keeps things concise at a tight thirty – but you wouldn’t know just by listening.  The band packs in so much variety that Awake and Empty comes across as an expansive achievement that knows how to use its brief time to make an impact.  Smack in the middle of the disc, the finale of “Missula / Big Sur” stands tall in Cory Bardwell’s minimalist guitar interplay and uniquely mirrored instrumental rewind.  Creativity takes the front seat as songs like “Lonely States” and “Twenty” achieve their own unique fingerprint through a variety of tempo shifts and reverberating chords.

Awake and Empty positions Troubled Coast as one of the leading emotional post-hardcore acts active today.  The band communicates their vision with confidence and clarity.  It’s almost as if listeners can take the perspective of the band, rather than simply receiving as passive listeners – in other words, Awake and Empty is pure engagement.