It’s been four years since Still Life, and it’s good to have Massage back. Few bands balance beauty and understatement quite like the L.A. five-piece, and Coaster (out now on Mt. St. Mtn., Prefect Records (UK), and Bobo Integral (EU)) proves once again that subtlety can be the strongest move in the room.

Massage have always sounded like music fans making music — a group of friends turning shared obsessions into something warm and familiar but never derivative. The new record shimmers, hums, and aches in all the right places, full of soft melodies that sneak up on you and stay.

There’s a quiet maturity to this album. As the band admits, Coaster marks the moment they’ve stopped worrying about fitting in anywhere and embraced being, simply, a pop group that wants “to write songs you can’t shake.” Mission accomplished. Written in the wake of wildfires, new parenthood, health scares, and the general chaos of adulthood, Coaster captures what happens when life stops being hypothetical. The result isn’t dour or heavy—it’s compassionate, clear-eyed, and deeply alive.

What makes Coaster special is how its light touch reveals more each time you play it. It’s an album that rewards time, patience, and decent headphones. Massage soothe, heal, and somehow make melancholy feel like company. Coaster is proof that they’re still growing, still glowing, and still writing some of the most gorgeous pop melodies around.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Mt. St. Mtn || Bobo Integral || Prefect Records