Debut Album From Brooklyn-based Indie Rock Outfit, Coffee Nap “(Of) Smoke Rings and Tenderness” Is Here
“(Of) Smoke Rings and Tenderness” is the long-awaited debut album from Brooklyn-based indie rock outfit, Coffee Nap. Here are our thoughts on this project and some insightful words from lead vocalist and guitarist, Mike Nowotarski.
Interestingly, “(Of) Smoke Rings and Tenderness” begins without the lead vocalist. Instead, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist René Sanchez opens the album with some low and slow, languishing lyrics about a declining relationship. Backup vocalist, Maria Diaz, also contributes a lot of flavor to the track.
Sanchez also deserves a lot of credit for the identity of this album. Many of the songs feature his jazzy saxophone and piano parts, which gives some extra seasoning to the lineup of easygoing guitar (Nowotarski), bass (Jon Francke), and drums (Jake Charvat). According to Nowotarski, the creation of this album was delayed mainly for the sake of finding the right bandmates, who he found through the Long Island and Brooklyn DIY and open mic music scenes. The comradery of these bandmates really comes through on the album, making it sound like a relaxed jam between friends.
Lyrically, this LP is evocative and comes across as incredibly sincere recollections. The way Nowotarski delivers these lines sounds deeply heartfelt, and I can’t help but be reminded of Brian Sella of The Front Bottoms. Struggling with one’s day-to-day routines is a prominent theme, especially on the track “Coffee Nap Theme Song.”
“I was living this really unsustainable lifestyle where I was commuting to the city for work and coming home and playing these open mic nights to like 5 people every single night. And I was drinking like 6 cups of coffee to do it,” says Nowotarksi.
Besides that, most of the album deals with the complications of getting older, thinking about old times, and pining for lost love, which are sentiments that anyone is sure to identify with in some way or another.
“I wrote a lot of these songs when I was 21, and I’m 27 now,” said Nowotarksi.”
“A lot of them are about moving back to my parents after college. A lot of them are about breaking up with my college girlfriend and what I went through with that,” he later added.
According to Nowotarski, these songs were written over the course of several years and feel very different to him now in comparison to when they were written. And although this album can sound crestfallen at times, it also has an underlying current of acceptance and optimism.
Overall, (Of) Smoke Rings and Tenderness is a very cozy listen that’s sure to warm you up and settle in your soul. It’s a tender, slow dance peppered with bits of melancholy and longing that ultimately comes out as a love letter to the highs and lows of life.
You can expect to see Coffee Nap on tour, probably with Philadelphia band, Whit Waltman, in the near future. Nowotarski also plans on hosting other artists at his newly opened Queens venue, Stone Circle, this August.
Favorite track: “Shea.”
Check out Coffee Nap here: https://linktr.ee/coffeenap