Sent To Coventry by Coulter was obviously influenced by an 80s-era indie pop, circa C-86 and The Smiths. Guitar riffs and synth lines all scream pop bounce, while the vocals have an occasional stripped-down lo-fi quality. Songs like “See You Next Tuesday” could easily have been released a quarter century ago rather than this year.
Just as surprising is that Coulter hails from Seattle rather than the UK, and “Lights, Camera, Dissatisfaction” could just as easily have been an early Morrissey song rather than one by Coulter Leslie.
This influence by The Smiths/Morrissey continues to pop up throughout the album, like in “A Lifelong Romance” and “Martial Hearts”. Coulter Leslie has an uncanny ability to write songs where the vocal pattern is entirely compatible with that of The Moz. Even as the band goes from the upbeat “Give It A Chance” to the ballad-esque “The More I See”, they never loose sight of their influences. And, with such consistency, they do add in elements that are unique to Coulter; the orchestrated instrumentation and subtle hints at an underlying rockabilly tone keep Coulter’s music their own.
2023 Update
Coulter originally released Sent To Coventry for free on the band’s website, which is no longer active. Coulter Leslie has been performing in a band called The National Honor Society and releasing music since at least 2017.
[CD, 2009]
1. Sent To Coventry
2. See You Next Tuesday
3. Lights, Camera, Dissatisfaction
4. Give It Chance
5. The More I See
6. A Lifelong Romance
7. The Path Of Most Resistance
8. The Happiest Days Of My Life
9. How Would You Know I Was Looking At You Unless You Were Looking At Me
10. Martial Hearts
11. Je Vous Pardonne Tout
