Opinion Review

The Coast: Nikita

Kicking things off with warm guitar riffs brilliantly suited to their name, the coastal sounds of ‘Nikita’ are perfect for the imminent hot summer days. The Coast’s new single is not only a massive way forward for the Cape Town four-piece in terms of sound, it’s also the song that most captures every distinct side of them as a group.

Written about one of the band’s friends who recently got married, ‘Nikita’ is something any 20-something can relate to. The chorus just gets it: “My Nikita/ don’t know when I’m gonna get to see her/ ’cause she’s married now”. We’ve all been there – when a friend gets into a serious relationship, new fling, engaged or married, and you never get to see them or hang out like the old days. It sucks, but this song manages to capture that feeling of knowing they’re happy and even though being disappointed, being happy for them too.

Musically, it has all the makings of an indie sleeper hit. The opening guitar riff has a pop-punk garage-band sound that brings to mind The Kooks, Beach Party and Shortstraw, and like the lovechild of the trio, it’s beautifully rebellious. Enter the second bar and a sneaky second electric guitar compliments the first with the same riff in a different harmony. It makes for both easy and interesting listening, and both music aficionados and casual listeners will get a kick out of it.

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Listen to ‘Nikita’ below on Soundcloud.