Fluctupop ® from one of Poland’s most talented young bands.
Almost three years after our first article about Coals, we get a chance to re-introduce them with an outstanding new material, which has received unanimous enthusiasm from the beehype quality assesment task force.
The music of Katarzyna Kowalczyk and Łukasz Rozmysłowski has always been, dark, difficult to categorize – electronic? pop? hip-hop? experimental? – and dark again. On their second full-length album “docusoap“, they take especially the second aspect a step further, as Coals’ crystaline production and heavy reverbs make it a challenge not just to talk about genres, but even about any particular moods or emotions.
It all fluctuates constantly, there and back, and if we were forced to classify Coals eventually, we would probably call it fluctupop.
“docusoap”, which borrows its name from neverending documentary series, actually brings 12 short tracks that often feel like ending much too early. A bit like a collection of home studio demos? But trust the band, it’s just the right amount of the many shades of their, er, fluctupop.
While the whole album is a recommended listen for anyone who prefers whispers and hums to vocal acrobatics, there are two spectacular pieces you could start with – “sleepwalker” and the opener “pearls”. And actually both have already received videos.
Hopefully, these two pieces make you check out the whole album. If you give it a few more spins, you might discover Coals ain’t as dark as their name suggets, and all those fluctuations, sound details and vocal effects are here just to make it less obvious they’re also great songwriters.
Stream “docusoap” LP on Spotify.
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Photo: Wiktor Malinowski