Formed in 1997 in Sundsvall, Sweden, COASTLAND RIDE issued their self-titled debut in 2003 and "On Top of the World" in 2011 before this release, "Distance", on Feb. 18 of this year. At the heights of this album, COASTLAND RIDE have a very pleasant 70's-80's vibe, filtering 70's melodies through 80's instrumentation. Superficially, the prominence of the keyboard calls JOURNEY to mind, while some of the louder guitar work ("Dead for Seven Days" in particular) recalls DOKKEN's lighter fare, with tones of BOSTON, KANSAS and PHIL COLLINS here and there. In terms of overall sound, they strongly resemble TOTO.

There are a number of enjoyable forays made here: The opening track "Winds" has a chorus bass line with an ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA flavor to it, with a fairly flamboyant guitar solo to boot. "Nation of Grace" sounds a great deal like a lighter version of QUEEN, with bits of the Castlevania soundtrack thrown in. Some of the vocal passion on this track is reined in by the quiet anger of synthwave production, which gives a very strong 80's feel. "Higher Ground" definitely has the strongest JOURNEY influence, with an enjoyably bouncy rhythm guitar and predominant keyboard. "Princess Little Wonderland" is perhaps the best example of 70's filtered through 80's, with the guitar and bass in the verse section being oddly evocative of MICHAEL JACKSON's "Smooth Criminal", while the melodies (particularly on the chorus) sound rather like BLUE ÖYSTER CULT played with the chug of 80's guitar and drumming. Oddly, even "Love Is On Your Mind", definitely not a 'good' song, manages to endear with its goofy tropical keyboard line behind the big sappy chorus.

Unfortunately, while "Distance" is retro, it's filled with callbacks that are either poorly-executed or reference things most people would be happy to forget. Most prominently, COASTLAND RIDE appear to have drawn heavily from the solo material of Peter Cetera to such an extent that these influences even seep into the good songs. There are parts of this album that wouldn't at all be out of place on the local worship music station.

For that matter, it wouldn't sound out of place in an elevator. I listen to a lot of prog, so I've learned not to immediately dismiss a song with melodies from easy listening music, but that's because a prog band would typically use it to accentuate some more technical material like polyrythms or interesting harmonies and chord progressions. Half the time, COASTLAND RIDE make these insipid melodies the most interesting part of the entire song. The ballads on this album are particularly bad in this regard, being interchangeable and forgettable when they're not being laughably ham-handed. "Eye of the Storm" sounds like a tepid retread of "Believe It Or Not" by JOEY SCARBURY, a song so cheesy it has its own Seinfeld joke, while "Spotlight Sun" is somehow even worse, with its saccharine choir lifted from a commercial for the Message Bible.

I have to give credit for the production, because while to my ears it often neuters what little power the album has, it is entirely consistent with the overall tone. On the early tracks and in the latter quarter of the album it works quite nicely with the synthesis the band is attempting. Particular kudos should be given for the effort lent to making the bass drums sound particularly tangible and realistic.

The concept isn't bad. There is something in the idea of trying to inject a little more JOURNEY and DOKKEN into TOTO, but unfortunately only half of the album sounds like that, while the rest is occupied by either 80's leftovers or at worst what sounds like Peter Cetera performing the Little Shop of Horrors soundtrack on Valium. Driving along the Pensacola shore in summer is a picturesque view, but the band ask us to experience it not from a '78 Firebird's breezy t-top, but from the stiff backseat of a '76 LeSabre driven by some East Coast moron cranking the A/C and stamping the brake. COASTLAND RIDE had a decent little idea for "Distance", but they didn't go far enough.