You might know Nik Bruzzese from Man Overboard, you might not, but we beg of you, get to know his new solo project, Casa Loma, because it’s incredible.
This Is Coping is ambient throughout and although it exists entirely separate from Man Overboard, it shares in that feeling of being epic – like it’s just too big to be contained by your headphones. This is, of course, a credit to Bruzzese’s songwriting and the clever usage of an acoustic guitar and some drums; simple in their own right, but so powerful when structured the way they are here.
On songs like ‘DP23’ and ‘Olivia, Marley, and the Duck Pond’, strings, horns and piano are employed to create the most beautiful and moving atmospherics. It’s the latter song that’s the main attraction along the dreamworld journey of this stunning six-track EP. It acts as a time capsule, imbuing his love for his daughters within every lyric and strum to preserve it for the inevitable day when he’s no longer able to express these ideas and feelings to them in person.
Despite tackling grief and exploring the idea of his own death, This Is Coping is incredibly warm and uplifting. It’s relatable, intimate and a very accomplished first step in this new journey for Bruzzese.
