Recommended Tracks: “Close Your Eyes,” “Slowing Down,” “Viciously Lonely”
Artists You May Like: Briston Maroney, Arlie, The Districts
The Backseat Lovers have returned with their sophomore album, Waiting to Spill, “the album they always intended to make.” The follow-up to the group’s DIY debut, When We Were Friends, is fiercely personal; each of the 10 tracks feature Joshua Harmon’s brutally honest lyrics and are overflowing with emotion. The group – Harmon, lead guitarist Jonas Swanson, drummer Juice Welch, and bassist KJ Ward – worked with Grammy Award-winning producer David Greenbaum (Paul McCartney, Gorillaz, Beck) on the album, which takes several steps toward studio-rock without completely abandoning their original DIY sound.
“I can’t lie when I sing.” The “Words I Used” lyric rings true throughout Waiting to Spill; each track is remarkably candid. On “Close Your Eyes,” Harmon asks himself, “Do you want to be like your father? / The older you get, your head’s getting hotter.” He adds, “Time keeps telling me to change / But I’m fragile and afraid.” The clock ticks, minutes become days, days become years, and we realize we are growing up – whether we like it or not. The fear and rage that follow this realization are natural, and “Close Your Eyes” is an expert exploration of these simmering emotions. On lead single, “Growing/Dying,” the simmer turns to a boil as Harmon asks, “Why does the plant on the windowsill reflect my state of mind? Growing and dying all the time.” He comes to the conclusion, “I think it’s time to grow.”
Waiting to Spill‘s quieter moments seek solace in nostalgia. On “Morning in the Aves,” Harmon yearns for his youth, singing, “Put your tapes in the VCR / Helps those days feel not so far behind you.” But, reality will strike back. On the album’s closing track, “Viciously Lonely,” the lyricist admits, “I’ve got the feeling that my wake up call is on its way / But as my youth begins to expire / I’ll slowly put a little less wood on the fire.” He adds, “Maybe it’ll turn, like a roll of old film / Or a bottle of wine that’s been waiting to spill.”
The Backseat Lovers strike a sonic balance throughout Waiting to Spill, keeping the listener engaged from start to finish. The album’s intensity ebbs and flows as stripped back sounds are followed by full force instrumentals – though nothing feels forced. Even during its softest moments, there is an underlying anticipation that never quite dies – a voice that seems to whisper, “What’s next?”
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