Coffee Project

On paper, there's not a whole lot of room for Coffee Project's shtick to work; there just aren't that many successful acoustic guitar/trombone duos out there. But Buddy Schaub (Less Than Jake) and partner Jake Crown obviously don't seem to mind. Moving On is the group's first proper LP (they released a ten-inch record titled Easy Does It last year) and it works well in today's acoustic post-punk environment. With an approach similar to Paul Baribeau and Frank Turner, Coffee Project's songs are light on guitar, use the trombone sparingly (and to good effect) and put a great deal of focus on vocals that focus upon everyday struggles and observations that anyone can relate to. It all comes together to leave us with songs begging to be sung along with at basement shows or small clubs. Crown's vocals are sometimes a little too high-pitched or amateurish, but fans will say that's just part of the charm.