What a gift it was to wake up and have this new single from The Moat be the first thing I engaged with. I have a strict rule about social media in the morning, and Beach Cars was a 10/10 replacement for the doom and gloom of the scroll.
Don’t try to pin down this NYC/NJ-based group to a genre; there’s no point (and it’s more fun not to). The 6 members that make up The Moat aren’t new to this, being known in their respective scenes and each bringing unique influences to the project. Beach Cars was released in August, a sliver of what’s to come with their debut album that’s currently in the works, being recorded, mixed, and mastered entirely by the group.
Bright and shiny guitars melt with a groovy bassline and serve as a perfect background for the vocals that can be best described as warm and almost sultry, yet full and intentional. I highly enjoy it, and if you’re a fan of bands like Slowdive, you’ll be in heaven. There are hints of nostalgia throughout this track, but it still sounds fresh and new, a balance The Moat seems to effortlessly strike.
The melodic lines they’ve crafted are smart, engaging, and teeming with life. This bunch of lyrics will be stuck in my head on repeat for at least the next few days:
Are you sleeping somewhere local? Hiding out ‘cause it’s safe when there’s no one around? Now I’m living somewhere coastal, Beach cars on my block move so slow.
Are you sleeping somewhere local? Summer sick in a town where you can’t make a sound? I’ve been living somewhere so cold, Beach cars on my block move so slow.
And they’re so slow.
Such a fantastic track instrumentally and vocally, I can’t help but feel incredibly excited for the upcoming album and the future of this band as a whole. The bar has been set high for The Moat, so follow them on socials to show your support and stream the HELL out of Beach Cars like I am.
Written by Newt Fangs
