It's been four years since the last full-length record from L.A.'s Massage and the band's power has only grown. Releasing a string of teaser singles this year, the group whet our appetites and now we're rewarded with a feast of a release. Coaster might just be the best thing you're going to play (a lot) in October.
The chiming "No North Star" kicks things off in a fashion that suggests an improbable mash-up of The Orchids and The Railway Children. Still, this American outfit also seems of a mindset with the current boom of dream-pop groups on the West Coast here. This breathy gem, along with the shimmering lead single "Daffy Duck", re-affirms just how assured is the approach of these Los Angeles folks. Elsewhere, "Hang On to that Feeling" is lovely, a flitting wisp of a cut that echoes The Ocean Blue even as there's a definite Cure-ish hook or two buried in "When You Go", another gem here. And yet, for all here that has a dreamy vibe, "Fading Out" is one beefy rocker. It's got a vibe not unlike the early singles from Oasis, and it's catchy as hell, even as "We're Existential" nods to Manchester again, marrying a New Order-y hook to an assured down-tempo melody.
Massage seem to have studied all the records so many of us loved as younger people. Those formative sides, the classics of indie, inspired bands like this to get together and thank God for that. Massage are so skilled at this kind of thing that it's sort of stunning. There's not a single dud on Coaster. I'll go one further and say that there is a cut or two on this that is a sure contender for one of the best tracks of 2025. Remarkably tuneful, Coaster is a modest masterpiece, and clearly the best record of the week. To say that you need to run out and get this is a tremendous understatement.
Coaster by Massage is out on Friday. Details below.
[Photo: Massage]