The Fight

by Overcoats

Overview

On their full-length debut, 2017's Young, indie pop duo Overcoats fortified their distinctive, blended two-part vocal harmonies with a mix of slick surfaces and atmosphere devised with producers Autre Ne Veut and Nicolas Vernhes (Dirty Projectors, Wye Oak). Almost -- but not quite -- leaving behind any trace of their acoustic folk beginnings on the follow-up, Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell brought in producers including Justin Raisen (Charli XCX, Sky Ferreira, Kim Gordon) to forge a still brasher sound. He and co-producer Yves Rothman also co-wrote the album with the band. An empowerment-themed set, The Fight establishes sleek, assertive electronic textures right from the a cappella intro to opener "I'll Be There." Manipulated electronics infiltrate the singers' built-out harmony vocals with filtering and other effects. At the same time establishing a lyrical tone that's compassionate as well as determined, the opening stanzas include the lines "I've been through it all before/And I don't know if there's something more/But there's so much worth fighting for." A spare, anthemic track, it adds piano, handclaps, fluttery percussion, and warped vocal samples, among just a few other components on its way to the rousing "Fire and Fury." Like much of the album, that song's fuller arrangement reinforces two and four while assuring "We'll get through it." Elsewhere, the vibrant "Apathetic Boys" pushes the tempo with overdriven drum tones and nervy synths, and "The Fight" ("Just remember that you are not alone") deploys four on the floor strummed guitar and airy synths. With the exception of that track, the energy drops somewhat in the second half of The Fight with songs like the electric guitar ballad "Drift" and closer "New Shoes," the one acoustic entry. While strong vocal performances are pushed forward in the mix throughout the album, and Overcoats hold their own as pop adepts a la Tegan and Sara, their vocals are most affecting there, amid chirping birds, in their stripped-down, natural form. ~ Marcy Donelson

Product Details

Release Date:	03/06/2020
Label:	Loma Vista
UPC:	0888072155794

Tracks

1. I'll Be There
2. Fire & Fury
3. The Fool
4. YJSTS
5. Apathetic Boys
6. Leave If You Wanna Leave
7. Keep The Faith
8. Drift
9. The Fight
10. New Shoes

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Overcoats   Primary Artist
Molly Miller   Guitar
Derek Stein   Cello
Justin Raisen   Pipe,Synthesizer
Joe Kennedy   Organ,Guitar,Keyboards,Moog Bass,Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass)
Stewart Bronaugh   Synthesizer
Kaela Sinclair   Keyboards,Guitar (Bass)
Bosh Rothman   Drums
Yves Rothman   Mellotron,Synclavier,Synthesizer
Linnea Powell   Viola
JJ Mitchell   Vocals
Ben Zelico   Drums,Piano,Guitar,Percussion,Synthesizer
Hana Elion   Guitar,Vocals
Henry Schiff   Drums

Technical Credits

Ryan Whalley   A&R
Porches   Remix Engineer
Jay Watson   Producer,Recording Producer
Caroline Rose   Remix Engineer
Ryan Hemsworth   Remix Engineer
Adrian Galvin   Composer
Thomas Winkler   A&R
Billy Lemos   Remix Engineer
Tony Maserati   Mixing
Chris Gehringer   Mastering
Greg Wells   Composer,Producer,Recording,Recording Producer
Wally Gagel   Composer
Scott Hoffman   Composer
Ainjel Emme   Vocal Engineer
Matt Marshall   A&R
Mary Hogan   A&R
Anthony Lopez   Recording
Justin Raisen   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording,Recording Producer
Bill Reynolds   Composer
Tyler McDiarmid   Engineer
Rob Cohen   Engineer,Recording,Vocal Producer
Carrie Smith   Design,Art Direction
Local Natives   Remix Engineer
Ryan Hahn   Producer,Recording Producer
Samur Khouja   Composer,Engineer,Recording
Yumi Zouma   Remix Engineer
Lawrence Rothman   Producer,Recording,Recording Producer
Gianluca Buccellati   Composer
Shura   Remix Engineer
Charlie Ryder   Composer
Josh Burgess   Composer
Aaron Maine   Producer,Recording Producer
Yves Rothman   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Recording,Recording Producer,Synthesizer Programming
Yoke Lore   Remix Engineer
Joey Pecoraro   Remix Engineer
Justine Mitchell   Composer
Hana Rose Elion   Composer
JJ Mitchell   Composer
James Ireland   Producer,Recording Producer
Ariel Loh   Producer
GUM   Remix Engineer
Alice Ivy   Remix Engineer
Chloele Drezen   Photography
Ben Zelico   Producer
SASAMI   Remix Engineer
Anthony P. Lopez   Engineer
Hana Elion   Composer
Anthony Paul Lopez   Recording
Dan Blaushild   Illustrations
Andrew West   A&R
Christian Gomez   A&R
Ginoli   Remix Engineer