Coals

Two new singles from young folk/electronic duo Coals demonstrate they’re as determined to evolve as to remain faithful to their dark sound.

One thing that’s certain about them is that – as depressed as they might look on stage – they love touring. Having played at Iceland Airwaves late last year, now they’ve just finished their “longeeest tour” around the Baltic countries, Germany, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Czech Rep. and Hungary.

Still, Coals later added some extra shows in Poland – with Warsaw and Łódź this weekend. And they’ve already planned some concerts abroad for the summer, including Fingers Up festival in the Czech Republic, Alínæ Lumr in Germany, and Waves Vienna in Austria.

Between all those festivals and concerts, singer/guitarist Katarzyna Kowalczyk and composer/multi-instrumentalist Łukasz Rozmysłowski keep bringing us some new singles that give us a better idea of what to expect from their long-awaited debut album. It has a name (“Rave 03”), but no release date yet (just “sometime in 2017”).

Apart from the austere bass line, the first thing you’ll notice in “S.I.T.C.” (meaning “Skeleton in the Closet”), a new single from Coals’ upcoming full-length record, is how they approach vocals.

Fluently orbiting between female and male, multi-layered and heavily processed, it makes the song one of the most intriguing works they’ve released yet. The video directed by Ola Bydlowska and Alan Willmann only adds to that atmosphere.

Earlier this year, they also shared a song titled “Lato2002” (“Summer2002”), dedicated to their grandparents. Sung entirely in Polish, it namechecks symbols of the (not so) long gone youth that will evoke some sentimental memories for many of their (not so old) listeners.

Around three years since the duo first got in touch via YouTube and recorded their first song together, they are no longer “one of Poland’s most promising young bands”, but an experienced band ready for a next step in their bright yet dark career.

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Coals on Soundcloud, Facebook, Youtube.

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