COIN – Rainbow Mixtape Album Review
July 2, 2021
COIN is a band name that is all too familiar to indie/alternative fans across the world. Consisting of Chase Lawrence on vocals and keys, Ryan Winnen on drums, and Joe Memmel on guitar, the American pop-rock band has gained major success in the past four years with their three most recent studio albums. Formed in 2012 by three friends at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, COIN has put out a total of five albums that cover a range of musical styles such as indie pop, alternative rock, and new wave. The band’s most recognizable song, “Talk Too Much,” is certified RIAA gold with over 150,000,000 streams on Spotify.
After their third album Dreamland was released in early 2020, COIN began touring across the United States, but like many artists, the band had to cancel their plans due to safety concerns with the pandemic. Nevertheless, the sudden change of direction motivated the trio to focus on songwriting and producing their fourth studio album: Rainbow Mixtape.
Initially, COIN had three full albums worth of written material, yet none of the songs felt cohesive or continuous. The plan for Rainbow Mixtape slowly evolved into three separate sections for each “theme” that the music represented. “Indigo Violet” was the first installment of the series, released on October 22nd, 2020. The EP was influenced by a classic indie-pop feel which is more characteristic of COIN’s discography. The second EP, “Green Blue,” debuted on March 12th, 2021. This selection of songs is more intimate and mellow than their previous music but incorporates a nice mix of folk and energy-filled soft rock to balance out the sound. Finally, “Red Orange” was released on April 30th, 2021, only to be included within the full album. This specific collection of songs draws inspiration from 70’s psychedelic rock and R&B, fully fleshing out the sound of the complete Rainbow Mixtape album.
I have chosen my personal favorite song from each of the three EPs to give a taste of what the full album is like.
Indigo Violet
- I Feel Alive?
This song has an overall similar sound to COIN’s classic work. It has a heavy, driving bass, a full background choir, and a drum beat full of energy. The chorus is repetitive, and I can tell this song will be the type with a sing-along feel. This song is extremely summery, and I know I will be playing it while driving with my windows down!
Green Blue
- Sprite
COIN went for a mellow vibe with this song, with relaxing synth keyboards and lots of electronic clips and drum samples in the background. The wispy guitar and deep bassline keep the song flowing forward, making this another quintessential song for the summer.
Red Orange
- Dream House
One of the three songs to be added to the final album, Dream House takes inspiration from 70s hypnotic R&B. The psychedelic feeling of this song is also perfect for the summer, as it feels warm and sunny.
Overall, Rainbow Mixtape is a spectrum of emotions from happiness to heartbreak to sorrow, each song correlating with a different shade of the rainbow. Additionally, the band announced their 2021 “Rainbow Dreamland” tour on April 26th, 2021, a few days before Rainbow Mixtape was released. The tour will focus on the music in both the new album Rainbow Mixtape and their previous album Dreamland to cover for the album’s canceled 2020 tour. Throughout the tour this fall, COIN will be featuring Valley and mazie as openers on specific dates.
References:
https://americansongwriter.com/coin-color-their-musical-spectrum-with-rainbow-mixtape-trilogy/
http://www.thecourieronline.co.uk/coin-green-blue-indigo-violet/
Written by: Zachary Grabill
Zachary is a Sophomore studying Business Administration: Project Management. He is passionate about music, traveling, and adventure, and enjoys sharing his experiences with others. He appreciates the opportunity to write for the blog as a platform to both entertain and discuss culture from a creative and personal perspective.