Describing his debut EP New Lands, arriving Oct. 20, Iowa-based singer-songwriter Andersen Coates says his songs are born out of the sense of fear and existentialism that comes with the transition into adulthood. “I’m 24 and clueless,” he says.
If these four songs are about fear and existentialism, it isn’t evident in the mood Coates has created. New Lands doesn’t carry any of the oppressive weight or worry of those feelings. These songs are quite the opposite. Relaxed, confident, sunny and upbeat.
That said, the feelings that inspire a song aren’t always present in the final product. Fear and existentialism could launch an artistic process that ends up subduing those emotions. If that’s the case here, Coates has successfully managed to transmute these complicated emotions into something much more manageable.
The EP’s title track kicks things off with a bright, Tom Petty-esque lick that chugs like a locomotive into an optimistic chorus about new opportunities and challenges. It’s aspirational and grand, but humble at the same time. “New Lands” is a song capable of living comfortably on either pop or country radio.
“Assassin (Anxiety)” dims the lights a little. The lyrics anthropomorphize anxiety as an invader, stalking around an absent mind. Attempting to suavely disarm its host, it croons veiled threats like “I’ll be here but don’t you pay me mind / I’ll keep my weapons under wraps if you stay near-sighted” and “Don’t you run away / You know I’ll find a way / To keep you right side of cross-hairs.”
On this track Coates draws the listener in with lush production quality and jangly, relaxed riffs that carry a hint of Rumors-era Fleetwood Mac.
The remaining two tracks on the EP — “In A Different Life” and “Sunflower Bouquet” — don’t quite rise to the same lyrical level as the first two. Still, “In A Different Life” does a good job evoking the feeling of a fleeting romance and awareness of the rare moments in life that you want to hold onto. Languid and smooth, the arrangement is warm and inviting even if the narrative loses momentum.
“Sunflower Bouquet” is similarly inviting, with a sunny and upbeat intro that reminded me of “Friday I’m In Love” by the Cure. Coates tries to create a similar sense of happy naivety and twirl-inducing joy in a song about focusing on simple pleasures and the indifference toward the passage of time. It’s clear what kind of emotional state Coates is trying to invoke here, but the sentimentality is a little stale.
Ultimately, these lyrical limitations don’t diminish what is an otherwise very competent and enjoyable debut EP. Coates (who, we should note, is a Little Village delivery driver) has a voice that is grounded and confident. As a guitarist, he has a clear command of his instrument and a strong capacity for bluesy improvisation. Both are significant talents that belie his young age.
If Coates considers himself to be “clueless,” then there is reason to look forward to the music he produces once he figures things out.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s October 2023 issue.
