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Wavves

You're Welcome

Written by: PP on 05/11/2017 15:32:45

With "You're Welcome", San Diego-based indie punks Wavves have reached their sixth album. They've been keeping busy: their debut album "Wavves" was released only in 2008, after which the band has been releasing upbeat indie/punk records pretty much every other year at the bare minimum. During that time they've reached a near cult status for their seamless blend of post-punk, lo-fi indie, garage pop/rock and other styles ranging from surf to shoegaze.

Just like its predecessors, "You're Welcome" is dreamy and experimental on occasion, enough to make punk feel like a foreign association to the band, but these passages are contrasted with even amounts of fast-paced and infectiously catchy garage punk segments that would make The Hives proud. For instance, "No Shade" is an instant highlight with its "I'm by my pool I'm drinking lemonade....no shaaaade" choruses, but also features experimental guitar effects that contrast the groovy riffs and faded vocals.

On the other hand, "Million Enemies" is a curious one because, on one hand, it draws parallels to 70s rock bands like The Kinks, then it channels through some more Hives style garage rock, and then finally lands back to indie/punk overtones in the process. Likewise, "Dreams of Grandeur" features a dreamy sing-along that makes you feel like you're sipping cocktails underneath a palm tree on some paradise island. It's essentially a relaxing, surf rock style indie pop song with garage influence underneath the hood.

It's this blend of ingredients that makes Wavves such a great listen. Their songs are infectiously catchy precisely because they are so playful with genres. "Hollowed Out" and "Daisy" are equally good examples where the band liberally move along genre boundaries, but the result is always the same: fantastically catchy, easygoing indie/pop/punk mixture that's difficult not to like. If you're not on the Wavves bandwagon yet, "You're Welcome" is as good a point as any to start with the band. Solid stuff.

Download: No Shade, Daisy, Dreams of Grandeur, Hollowed Out
For the fans of: Best Coast, The Hives, Cloud Nothings, Japandroids, Parquet Courts
Listen: Facebook

Release date 19.05.2017
Ghost Ramp