Exclusive: Stream Mosquito Coast's debut album Kisses a few days early

Header image by Hiball Productions.

After taking out triple j Unearthed's High competition four years ago now (!), Perth dream-pop duo Mosquito Coast have grown into a west-coast favourite; the time since littered with a handful of tours and festival shows that have seen them become a much-loved addition to our live music world, while their recorded work stretches from their debut EP back in 2016 to a handful of tracks that have littered their discography since. In fact, their 2018 single Skipping Girl - their return to the spotlight after two years away - actually teased a remarkably bright future ahead, something we're witnessing unfold in 2019.

Now, with Skipping Girl and another single - Sweet Talking, released earlier this year - under their belt, Mosquito Coast are opening the next chapter, soundtracking their evolution and growth both musically and personally with a career-encapsulating debut record, Kisses. "We tried to be a little more direct with our songwriting this time," said Conor from the duo when we interviewed them last year, and throughout the album's 12 tracks, you can hear how this attention to songwriting and production has allowed their music to blossom. "Usually our lyrics come last after we have put all the instruments together and we would have picked a theme or have a sense of the feeling and try to articulate that in a way that is not too corny," continued Naomi.

Exploring the highs and lows of a complex relationship and everything it encompasses, Kisses is an intimate and personal release that's somewhat masterfully, however, left open enough for people to find comfort and relatability in; their soft dream-pop grooves meeting hazy vocals that detail the ins and outs of their past. "Kisses is quite vulnerable and intimate…," they say on the album. "[It's] kind of like being in our bedrooms, but not quite close enough to read our diaries."

Musically, the album showcases the diversification in their sound teased across a discography littered with constant change, with the band's ability to swerve between slick indie-pop and moments bolder and at times, more subtle. Worked alongside French producer Nicolas Vernhes, the album even sways into the electronic side of their sound here and there, something the band say is a longing remainder of Nic's imprint on the album: "Nic's production had an effect and also the instruments we had access to. There’s a tonne of Roland Juno synth used as both a bass and a pad," Naomi explains.

After being thrust into the limelight at an incredibly young age, Kisses is a mature gaze into how Mosquito Coast have grown - and a must-listen return from one of Perth's best bands who, despite the rapid-changing shifts of the WA music scene, constantly remain ahead of the curve. Dive into the record below, ahead of its full release this Friday.

Follow Mosquito Coast: FACEBOOK