SHORT, SWEET AND SPUNKY | COACH PARTY RELEASE BRAND NEW ALBUM ‘CARAMEL’

COACH PARTY | CARAMEL by Rachel Puk

The Alt-Rock four-piece Coach Party have landed this Autumn with their striking new album Caramel. Wrapping up at 33 minutes, it’s short, sweet and spunky. Each theme expands on their 2023 debut Killjoy – heartbreak, identity, and finding your voice. Following their singles ‘Disco Dream’ ft. Black Honey,  ‘Girls!’ and ‘Do Yourself a Favour’, the record is well rounded and dances with the surge of punk-rock all over the scene at the moment.

Opening track ‘Do It For Love’ eases us in to what Coach Party are about. Harmoniously Joe Perry and Steph Norris on each guitar create riffs that surge through the chorus and you. The drums by Guy Page are punchy and cool, and solidify the musical chemistry between the band.

‘Georgina’ sticks out to me with its infectious melodies and the bites of 2000s nostalgia. Jess Eastwood’s vocals dance playfully over distortion and reverberating guitars. It’s upbeat and catchy yet heartfelt – touching on feelings of isolation in a simply relatable way:

I’m up, I’m down, I’m done now

I can’t see, I can’t see the way out

I miss myself

I wanna get back, get back

You can rock out to the music, but you can also sit and sulk to the lyrics. Eastwood’s duality here allows room to spin your listening experience based on how you’re feeling that night.

‘Disco Dream’ is punky and exciting, making nods to Amyl and the Sniffers in its upbeat soundscape and urge to make you get up, dance, and shake your hair erratically. The success of this track as a single makes perfect sense. It seems that Coach Party have used this record, produced by their very own Page, to settle their style and identity into one of bite.

Exit track ‘Still Hurts‘ ends the punchy album on a more mellow note until its final breakdown which seems to encapsulate the project perfectly. A cathartic blend of vocals and the band’s musicality. Jess Eastwood has effortlessly used this album as an outlet for emotions big and small alongside her band who help push her emotional path.

The Isle of Wight band recently opened the Independent Music Awards with adrenaline high. They gave ‘Disco Dreams’ and ‘Girls’ a spin, and NE’s Rachel Brown described the performance as ‘loud, unapologetic, and impossible to ignore.’

I remember watching Coach Party open for Sea Girls around four years ago now – their growth in musicality, identity and style is satisfying, and I look forward to hearing this new record on stage. Have a look at their upcoming tour dates below:

UK TOUR DATES – FEBRUARY 2026
11 th – Norwich, The Waterfront
12th – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
13th  – Leeds, The Wardrobe
14th  – Manchester, Gorilla
15th  – Glasgow, Room 2
17th  – Birmingham, Castle & Falcon
18th  – London, Islington Assembly Hall
19th  – Bristol, Thekla
20th  – Brighton, Concorde 2
21st – Southampton, Engine Rooms