From Surf to Grunge

Coke Weed is a Maine-based four-piece whose fourth LP, Mary Weaver, comes courtesy of Beyond Beyond is Beyond Records. The label is putting out a white vinyl for the release of the album, where in the description, they compare Coke Weed to the likes of T. Rex, David Bowie and CAN. However, these comparisons are disputable, as Coke Weed’s sound fits more comfortably between psychedelic surf rock and contemporary 90’s revivalists rather than 70’s krautrock and glam pop.

Mary Weaver is split evenly between the two aforementioned aesthetics, with the album’s first half showing the band’s ability to delicately weave lead-singer Nina Donghia’s voice over interlacing, clean guitar work, somewhat reminiscent of Ultimate Paintings’ self-titled outing. The second half is where Coke Weed plays into their grunge sensibilities; the drums are harder hitting, the guitars are more distorted and Donghia’s vocals are drawn and direct. Comparisons could be drawn to a multitude of 90’s acts, which becomes Mary Weaver’s greatest weakness. Coke Weed’s take on psychedelic surf rock is far more inspired than the blatant 90’s worship, which can become derivative to the point of monotony.

Donghia’s voice seems to be most versatile aspect of Coke Weed’s line-up; not necessarily because of her range, but instead because of her ability to effectively adapt to both styles being explored, transitioning from laid back smoothness to detached nonchalance. And despite the mid-album genre-hop, Mary Weaver succeeds in presenting the two very disparate styles as a unified whole, aided by the group’s incorporation of seamless transitions that create a sense of building intensity.