COIN 的《I'm Not Afraid Of Music Anymore》是其早期独立作品的进化版

9 月 13 日，来自纳什维尔的另类乐队 COIN 发行了第六张录音室专辑《I'm Not Afraid Of Music Anymore》，让歌迷们想起了其生动的艺术气息，并激励听众无所畏惧。

Nashville-based alternative band COIN dropped its sixth studio album “I’m Not Afraid Of Music Anymore” on Sept. 13. The album showcases the band’s evolution and growth, with more vulnerable lyrics and a sound that’s both familiar and fresh.

总部位于纳什维尔的另类乐队 COIN 于 9 月 13 日推出了第六张录音室专辑《I'm Not Afraid Of Music Anymore》。这张专辑展示了乐队的演变和成长，歌词更加脆弱，声音既熟悉又新鲜。

COIN first gained recognition in 2016 with the hit song “Talk Too Much.” Since then, the band has become a staple in the modern indie and alternative scene. After expressing creative exhaustion following the 2022 release “Uncanny Valley,” “I’m Not Afraid Of Music Anymore” marks a turning point for COIN.

COIN 于 2016 年凭借热门歌曲《Talk Too Much》首次获得认可。从那时起，乐队就成为现代独立和另类音乐界的重要组成部分。在 2022 年发行《恐怖谷》后表达了创意枯竭之后，《我不再害怕音乐》标志着 COIN 的转折点。

The new album sees the band pushing into a more vulnerable direction lyrically. The songs on the album explore COIN’s feelings around fame and art, and how these feelings affect their personal relationships. Some tracks lean heavily on the band’s alternative roots, with darker tones and loud synths.

在新专辑中，乐队在歌词上向一个更脆弱的方向推进。专辑中的歌曲探讨了 COIN 对名誉和艺术的感受，以及这些感受如何影响他们的个人关系。有些曲目严重依赖于乐队的另类根源，具有较暗的色调和响亮的合成器。

“Problem” is a standout song on the album and undeniably resembles the work of Cage the Elephant and The Strokes, with spunky speak-singing and unrestricted lyrics. Frontman Chase Lawrence sings with humorous dissatisfaction at his current level of fame, “But I die when I get recognized / And cry a little when I don’t.” These confessions signal to fans a new sense of openness from the band while staying true to their sound. The song, placed perfectly near the album’s halfway mark, acts as a refreshing interlude from the other toned-down tracks and serves as a reminder of where COIN came from.

《Problem》是专辑中的一首出色歌曲，无可否认地类似于 Cage the Elephant 和 The Strokes 的作品，有着充满活力的对唱和不受限制的歌词。主唱蔡斯·劳伦斯 (Chase Lawrence) 幽默地对自己目前的名气表示不满，“但当我被认出时我会死/当我不被认出时我会哭一会儿。”这些自白向歌迷传达了乐队新的开放感，同时又忠于自己的声音。这首歌完全位于专辑的中间位置，作为其他低调曲目的令人耳目一新的插曲，并提醒人们 COIN 的来源。

The album’s main downfall is how indiscernible some of the tracks are from one another. “Bloodtype,” “Sing Along” and “Olivia” are all slow, reflective songs with a lofi sound. Each of these tracks is effective on its own, featuring stunning vocals and light guitar, as they explore finding oneself and the fright of romance. But, all of them are placed together in the back half of the album, making for an exhausting and repetitive listen.

这张专辑的主要缺点是有些曲目彼此之间难以辨别。 《Bloodtype》、《Sing Below》和《Olivia》都是慢节奏、带有反思性的 Lofi 歌曲。这些曲目中的每一首都非常有效，以令人惊叹的歌声和轻吉他为特色，当他们探索寻找自我和浪漫的恐惧时。但是，所有这些都放在专辑的后半部分，使人疲惫且重复地聆听。

Of course, the slower songs are by no means boring. “Growing Song,” for instance, packs a simple and poignant punch as it follows the narrator aiming to change themself for the better in order to better understand who they are: “Goodbye to the part of me / I never really knew.” For the majority of the song, Lawrence repeatedly sings “Maybe I’m growing.” Rather than feeling redundant, the refrain evokes a powerful image of the narrator trying to convince themself that they’re truly evolving. COIN remains playful and ends the track with a spoken “Or maybe I’m not,” cleverly emphasizing that change isn’t linear.

当然，较慢的歌曲绝不是乏味的。例如，《成长之歌》充满了简单而辛酸的冲击力，讲述了叙述者旨在变得更好，以便更好地了解自己的故事：“再见了我的一部分/我从未真正了解过。”在歌曲的大部分内容中，劳伦斯反复唱着“也许我正在成长”。这种副歌并没有让人感觉多余，而是唤起了叙述者试图说服自己他们真正在进化的强大形象。 COIN 仍然很有趣，并以口头“也许我不是”结束这首歌，巧妙地强调变化不是线性的。

The album’s lead single, “Strawberry Jam,” is a delightful return to classic sound for COIN. The brilliance of this track is the juxtaposition of melancholy lyrics — “We fell in love in a parachute / But I set off like a rolling stone” — with upbeat instrumentals. Featuring harmonica, whistling and clapping, the song gives off vibes that are reminiscent of the last few moments of summer. And still, Lawrence is singing about the troubles of running away from a relationship whenever the going gets tough. This track showcases how much fun COIN has creating music that deeply explores its vulnerabilities, creating a more enjoyable listening experience.

这张专辑的主打单曲“Strawberry Jam”是 COIN 经典声音的一次令人愉快的回归。这首歌的精彩之处在于忧郁的歌词——“我们在降落伞里坠入爱河/但我像滚石一样出发”——与乐观的乐器并置。这首歌以口琴、口哨和鼓掌为特色，散发出让人想起夏天最后时刻的氛围。尽管如此，劳伦斯仍然在歌唱，每当事情变得艰难时，就逃避一段关系的麻烦。这首歌展示了 COIN 创作音乐的乐趣，深入探索其弱点，创造更愉快的聆听体验。

“I’m Not Afraid Of Music Anymore” is an evolved version of COIN’s earlier indie work. The band doesn’t hold back lyrically, allowing audiences to better connect with the music. Even with the songs’ somber and often pessimistic lyrics, the band refuses to take themselves too seriously. While the latter half of the album may feel a bit tiresome at times, the sentiments of the work make up for its shortcomings.

《我不再害怕音乐》是COIN早期独立作品的进化版。乐队在抒情上毫不保留，让观众更好地与音乐产生联系。尽管歌曲的歌词阴沉且常常悲观，但乐队拒绝太认真地对待自己。虽然专辑的后半部分有时会让人觉得有些乏味，但作品的情感弥补了它的不足。