The Harlequins are a three person band from Cincinnati. The group consists of Michael Oliva on guitar and vocals, Alex Sternard on bass, and Rob Stamler on drums.  The group were nominated for “Best New Artist” in 2008 by the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards and won “Best Use of Reverb” in 2010 from the Cincinnati City Beat. They released their first full length “Baron Von Headless” in July 2009. The Harlequins are celebrating their new release, “Midwest Coast”, with a release party on July 1st at Fountain Square in Cincinnati. Nao Live got an early sneak peak of the album.

The opening lyrics, “The Midwest is the best coast”, set the tone for the rest of the album. It’s fun and playful, yet serious and fiercely proud of its Midwestern rock lineage.  These ideas are manifested through the groups no frills, no gimmicks, songwriting.

The biggest strength of “Midwest Coast” is that it is an album in its truest sense, flowing from song to song. Five of the six songs hover around or under three minutes long. The album totals just 26 minutes (a secret song clocks in at under 6 minutes). The Harlequins say what they need to say and leave it at that. The compact, coherence of the album provides a strong foundation to the “day in the life”/”life in a summer” feel. Yet a real maturity and craftsmanship is shown throughout. The album runs the gamut of emotions – from civic pride (“Midwest Coast”), to wondering where time went (“2010”), and of course, relationships that could have been (sprinkled throughout every song). Love is a consistent theme. “Nothing Important Happened Today” wonders it’d be like if a current partner left, but the next song “Firehawk Lover” is about needing a partner to bring out a person’s best. In fact, some of the albums strongest moments come from these contrasts. The album drives forward, yet makes time for contemplative moments like the end of “2010” or “So Far So Good”, creating a highly nuanced rock record.

The upbeat, tight feel of the album combined with the twinges of nostalgia give “Midwest Coast” all the qualities of a great summer record. Highly recommended.  For more information about The Harlequins, including tour dates, please check their website, join their Facebook fan page,  or follow them on Twitter.

Tracklisting:
1. Midwest Coast
2. 2010
3. Nothing Important Happened Today
4. Firehawk Lover
5. So Far So Good
6. You Ought To
7. (hidden track) 13