In My Coma, how does it work? In My Coma is a three-piece Torontonian band that features an eclectic mix of British pop, electronica and hard rock, making an enormous wall of sound.

In My Coma is:

Jasper James – Vocals, Guitar

Laura Doll – Bass, Vocals

Mike Paterson – Drums

In My Coma brings a cerebral, thinking man’s approach to rock music in the likes of bands such as People in Planes and A Perfect Circle.

Magnets & Miracles is quite the ambitious debut. The slithery opener “Friendly Fire” kicks things off with a bang. It was interesting to hear a mix of electronica sampling and acoustic guitar as it could be lost in the mix, but In My Coma makes the epic layering work really well.

“Lined Up Locked Away” is one of my early favorites. It starts with an industrial hip-hopish intro before it goes into some classic sounding Fragile era Nine Inch Nails thing.

“Losing Sleep” is the longest track on the album, but has one of the catchier sounding songs of Magnets & Miracles. “I know the weather’s getting so damn cold, I never wanna let it go, ’cause I know that when the sun comes no one will be waking up…” read the lyrics of the chorus.

They may not carry the same heaviness of bands on their label, Sights and Sounds, like Evans Blue, but there is an intensity in their sound nonetheless.

“Hit Them Down Kid” has the longest intro and takes a bit to get going, but when it gets going, you get rocking. “Lost” slows the pace of the album down a bit with a beautiful string filled piano-driven piece.

My EMURGpick has to be for “Believe Me”. I feel that it represents the band’s sound the best. It truly has a bit of everything to listen out for.   You’ve got the Interpol-esque monotonous vocals, the infectiously catchy lyrics, and a driving, almost dance-y beat throughout the song.

“Homesick” brings out a bit of their heavier side and carries a bit of a Stabbing Westward vibe to it. “Crazy World” is another very catchy song and one that I can envision hearing on radio in the future, perhaps more than their other video/radio singles (“Believe Me”, “Losing Sleep”, and “Friendly Fire”).

“Trip Denes” has a nice driving intro and probably has the most reminiscence to Depeche Mode. There are not a lot of hard rock songs I could imagine being played at a club, but this would easily fit in to a DJ’s list.

“Voices” intros with news clips ranging from MLK and Malcolm X to announcement of JFK’s death. I would argue that this is the heaviest song on the album, musically speaking. “Hiding from the rest of them, feeling like I’m one of them…” is my favorite line on the record.

“Dreamers” may be the biggest departure from the rest of the album. Starting off completely stripped down, they fill up  a wall of sound that they are so good  at doing on Magnets & Miracles. Towards the bridge, the song brings you home with handclaps.

“My Friend” is another really beautiful, relatively stripped down song that makes really good use of harmonizing vocals between Jasper James and Laura Doll.

For a debut album, it’s one heck of a diversified album. As I mentioned, there’s a little bit of everything on the album where you have hints of indie rock, industrial and electronica, hard rock and progressive rock on this album.

In My Coma pulls off an impressive debut by pulling you in with its magnetic wall of sound. If “Believe Me” doesn’t get you to start dancing or start rocking, it’d be a miracle if you still have a pulse.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christopher I like to consider myself a music enthusiast, spreading excitement over the bands and artists I like, no matter the genre. My goal, as it has been since I started college, has been to break into the music business, be it through radio or music writing. Even if I don't, I enjoy writing for my personal site and for EMURG without compensation. It's my passion and I love to share it with you.

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