Chase Coy - Picturesque
Rating
RIYL
CopelandDashboard Confessional
Mae
Release Date
06/01/2010
Label
Universal RepublicTracklist
1. November2. Who’s to Say?
3. Picturesque
4. Never Had the Courage
5. These Things
6. Airplanes
7. If the Moon Fell Down (feat. Colbie Caillat)
8. Anniversary
9. Coming Clean
10. Take Me Away
11. Eight-Dollar Engagement Rings
12. Losing Sleep
13. Middle of June
14. Closer
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To be frank, Chase Coy is a nineteen year-old touchy-feely acoustic pop prodigy on a major label. His haircut is reminiscent of Justin Bieber. By now, you’ve probably subconsciously decided whether or not you are going to like him. If you must, you can stop reading now, and I won’t hold it against you. But, if you’re willing to follow me down the touchy-feely rabbit hole, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Picturesque is a quiet summer day at the park, laying in tall, wispy grasses, watching clouds float lazily overhead. It is warm and placid, spare but beautiful. Its strength lies in its subtlety.
The album opens perhaps a little too subtly with “November,” a two-and-a-half minute ditty comprised of acoustic guitar, light percussion and a few vocal harmonies. It’s a deceptively simple hors d’oeuvre, as the tracks on Picturesque that really shine feature more instrumentation— the violins and cello on “Never Had the Courage,” the restrained drums on “These Things,” or the dulcet piano flourish on “Middle of June,” for example. The simple orchestration helps Coy avoid being labeled a properly-emotionally-adjusted Chris Carrabba; instead, most of Picturesque evokes the more relaxed songs from Copeland’s catalog, like “Love Affair” or “California.”
If I had to sum Picturesque up in a pregnant, backhanded compliment (which I don’t, but I will), I’d say it is intensely focused. Coy has compiled fourteen tracks of down-tempo acoustic pop with orchestral accompaniment, his lyrics almost always involving travel and missing someone special. Fun drinking game: play this album and take a shot every time he sings about a mode of transportation, the past year, and how he misses someone who is some degree of “beautiful.” All cynicism aside, Coy crafts some particularly passionate, intensely personal songs. They may not be deep and cerebral, but they are infinitely relatable. “Soon I'll be paying for taxis / And riding in backseats / On my way back to hotels. When I want my own bed / I get these instead.” (Take a shot.)
If you hadn’t guessed already, if you’re in the mood for an energetic album, you’ll be sorely disappointed. The final track, “Closer,” is about the fastest the tempo gets— which is roughly analogous to a coma patient’s heart rate. Despite several standout songs (his duet with Colbie Caillat, “If the Moon Fell Down,” of particular note), after fourteen tracks, Picturesque will either strike you as tight and focused, or listless and repetitive.
That being said, Picturesque is a commendable effort, especially from a nineteen year-old. He may be no Bob Dylan, but Coy is well on his way to becoming a spectacular singer/songwriter. He’s probably due for a haircut, though.
--Zach Roth
Comments
Infinitely Inwards
"Touchy -Feely Rabbit Hole"?!.....What are you getting at, sir?
Ever Forthright - Ever Forthright
Fallujah - The Harvest Wombs
The New Law - The Fifty Year Storm
ERRA - Impulse
Aborted - Global Flatline
Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning
Crippled Black Phoenix - (Mankind)The Crafty Ape
Minnesota
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Oddly enough, if you search google for "touchy feely rabbit hole" this review is the 6th result. That means there are 5 better uses of "touchy feely rabbit hole" out there!
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Fishers, Indiana
When I google it, we're the number one result now!
Honestly, the only reason I write such obtuse things in my reviews is so that we are the number one result for odd phrases. I'm in it just to raise our Alexa ranking. 75k by the end of this week, bitches!
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Infinitely Inwards
Pseudo-Vulgarity FTW!!.....I'm just gonna start advertising Decoy as a porn site....that'll get em.
Ever Forthright - Ever Forthright
Fallujah - The Harvest Wombs
The New Law - The Fifty Year Storm
ERRA - Impulse
Aborted - Global Flatline
Steven Wilson - Grace for Drowning
Crippled Black Phoenix - (Mankind)The Crafty Ape
Minnesota
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Find me EVERYWHERE:
Atascadero, CA
hahaha, 68k today, and hopefully still going upward (downward to be exact) with all the reviews pissing people off on twitter.
Decoymusic.com (CEO/Founder)
Blue Reef Design Studios (Web Development)
http://aarontroy.tumblr.com
Illinois
honestly, i've only heard this kid's cover of "i will follow you into the dark" and it was good i guess. i know tons of kids that like this, but it's not for everyone.
last.fm/user/tragedyl0ve
twitter.com/1000cleverlines
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Fishers, Indiana
I realized that writing this review for Decoy members is like writing a review of a Ken Doll for a Harley Convention BUT
I found myself liking this guy a lot, even if he's all folky and not letlive.
Top Albums: 2011 | 2010 | 2009 || Tumblr | Twitter
Kansas
Why is this album not on RYM yet?
http://rateyourmusic.com/~benny06
Wisconsin
that colbie song is ace. that might be because im biased and love her to death, but whatever.