Each track on this album sounds like separate moments on a warm, steamy summer holiday, with the hypnotic tempo and breathy vocals of opener ‘9-5 Summer Breakers’ personifying a boiling shift at work. ‘Mild Conversation’embodies a day at the beach with hefty snare claps, an unstoppable, wavering bass part and a sun-bleached synth solo. This summery, and breezy instrumentation shines throughout the whole album as brisk and relaxing saxophones appear on ‘Tough’ and friendly organ synths open up ‘Getting Lost’.
Despite this, the smooth and carefree instrumentation maintains an edge of liveliness and energy as the smooth production emphasises every cymbal crash and psychedelic-tinged guitar tone. Vocalist Tim Karmouche also adds to the album’s bubbly-yet-sedating style, singing in a loveable, almost whisper on ‘I’m Fallin In’as he murmurs over fast chord strikes and a lovely bass part. ‘Forgetting Something’ closes the album on a more solemn note. A moody saxophone and gloomy guitars perfectly wrap up what it is a sprightly and spirited debut.
8.5/10
