Shoreline is a little-known band that put their first song on Spotify in 2017. Since then, they’ve managed to amass almost 20 thousand monthly listeners. Their most recent album, To Figure Out, is a highlight of their style and lands them a well-deserved place in my heart.

They classify themselves as “a hardcore/emo punk” band, and they fit that description quite well, mixing the occasional harsh vocals with an edgy instrumental feel. They tend to build tension in their songs by interrupting their loud sound with a softer section before coming back for an eccentric chorus.

To Figure Out was released on February 23, 2024. It represents their story as a band and how they’ve changed.“Seoul” is about the lead singer’s struggle to find an identity. “Reviver” speaks to the impossible task of trying to keep the band together through the rough patches. “Green Paint” brings to light the struggle of trying to be a small band.

One of my personal favorite tracks from the album, “Darius”, is named after a friend they used to tour with. They used to just make music for the joy of it, but to other people, stats were all that mattered. After a while, they started to replace their love for music with the desire to put on a good show.

“Darius” tells a story about the fun of playing, the doubt of succeeding, and losing the will to play. It isn’t a happy song, most of the lyrics being about reminiscing about the past. The repeated line, “If it works out, will you be happy” shows the nostalgia for their beginnings and doubt about their future that the song portrays.

Even if their style isn’t in your normal music rotation like it is mine, you should give this album a listen. With this great set, you might just end up finding a new favorite song or two.