Weekender - Floaty Feeling, Blue

Weekender
Floaty Feeling, Blue
2016
Weekender - Floaty Feeling, Blue

Weekender with this latest release Floaty Feeling, Blue and trying to cement themselves into the Surf/Pop/Rock genre. The album like the title indicates does have a floaty vibe and sort of spills each song into the next one. The style is the most pronounced on "No Time to Waste" which sounds more like a modern day Beach Boys a la Pet Sounds more than anything else. However before you burn this mother down in outrage at anything being compared to Pet Sounds take a listen and you'll hear the guitar on the verge of a surf sound, but with just enough of an ethereal quality that it never becomes to cliche. The Philadelphia group also manages to make their affected vocals not feel off putting despite the fact that the same effect is used throughout the EP. A bright spot is also the drumming, it is super crisp and clean on a record that tends to lead towards the muddled (in a good way). It makes for an interesting contrast and one that is fun to listen to.

The album ends with more of a whimper than a scream with "When We Woke" being the most "Floaty" of all the tracks on the record. It is Nine Minutes long and is broken up into two distinct sections, perhaps two different songs maybe? There really is very little unifying the two pieces of the the song so merging it verges dangerously on jam band territory. There is quite a bit on Floaty Feeling, Blue with words stacked upon words in their lyrics, the doubling of the singers voice also makes it feel like even more people are talking in this blue tinted void they are taking us through. Weekender seem to be a little more impressive when they increase the pace and push the volume like on "Loving/Hating" than they are just letting the music creep along. Anyone ready for a modern day surf sesh should have Weekender all queued up and ready for the water.

6 out of 10