The Foreword – “Coffee Cups and Second Shots”

If you turn on your TV, unlock your phone or open your laptop, it’s no small secret that this world has become a very volatile and scary place. All you have to do is read one news headline to realize how truly messed things have become. Luckily, we can escape into music, and an album like The Foreword’s Coffee Cups and Second Shots, a necessary and much needed blast of pure emotion and eternal optimism. Opener “Made Up Misery” is a slab of transcendent indie pop and cheerful euphoria, a song you won’t soon forget and one of the better songs you’ll hear this year. Maggie Schneider is an absolute revelation, a wonderful mix of Paramore’s Haley Williams and former Automatic Loveletter frontwoman Juliet Simms (and maybe a little Cassadee Pope for good measure), as she takes center stage on “Roses,” a picture perfect slice of relatable nostalgia, four flawless minutes of brilliance sure to give you goosebumps. Alex Crain shines on the delicate “Worn Out Pages,” weaving in and out of divine harmony with Schneider’s inescapable vocals. Closer “Oh I Wonder” showcases the full potential of The Foreword with Crain and Schneider going tit-for-tat on unforgettable bar after unforgettable bar. Hell, even the acoustic interludes are beautiful. Coffee Cups and Second Shots is a wonderful record capable of lifting you up when you’re down and making you feel better about the world around you. Just press play and don’t try to fight the smile forming on your face.  

Go Download: “Made Up Misery”