Crawling Vines “Coconut” EP Review

Chicago’s Crawling Vines opens the door to a hazy world of alone thoughts with his latest EP, Coconut.

Mix indie rock with a bit of midwestern noise and hints of garage riffs, and you’ll get Coconut, Crawling Vines’ EP release from February.

Based in Chicago, Crawling Vines is able to encompass a variety of genres within the relativity short Coconut from heavier shoe-gaze to neo-psychedelic. Perfect for fans of Tame Impala and the Arctic Monkeys alike, Coconut keeps the listener engaged throughout shifting tempos and lyrics that yearn for relief from heartbreak and a lonely head.

If you’re looking for a heavier sound, start off raw and rugged with the gritty “Falling off the Monkey Bars” and the angsty “New Hall.” While “New Hall” fades out with an ominous ending (“Am I dead? / Every bone inside me feels like glass), the EP takes a lighter turn with “Out of a Dream” as the singer laments that his person of interest is reluctant to make their love known to others. Perhaps the most shoegaze-y song of the EP, Crawling Vines consistently offers a wall of sound to drown out the noise. The distorted vocals and static-ridden ambience of “Do Ya Feel It?” and “All This Noise” reminded me specifically of Djo with a bit more hardness and intensity that is perfect for those hot summer days that make you want to just scream and shout “I don’t want to be alone in my head.”

“Watch as I Go” rounds out Coconut with an ear-worm of a melody, evoking a bittersweet acceptance that it’s time to move on from a person that was once held close. With common themes about the pains of growing up and feeling trapped in where you are, Crawling Vines voices what it’s like to face change head on.

You can find Crawling Vines music on all streaming platforms. Follow him on Instagram (@crawlingvinesmusic) to stay up to date with new music!