Waterparks dropped their sophomore album Entertainment on January 26th. Between the singles that have surfaced in the lead up to this record and Awsten's very open and ALLCAPS TWEETS about it, I've been hyped to hear it for some time.
The album opens with 11:11, and instantly threw me into some 80's synth realm. Seriously, the first little opening tune had me feeling like I could be in some arcade on the set of Stranger Things. The song is punchy and has the repeated line 'my favourite set of stairs is the one up to your room' which is one of many lines that were left in my head after my first listen.
This is followed by Blonde, the first single to have been released from the album. It is fast paced and has the little shouty part that I love. On a somewhat related side note- angry Awsten appears to be a theme for this record.
Peach (Lobotomy) is a catchy song. The whole melody of it reminds me of a song that already exists but for the life of me I can't recall what it is (any ideas?). It is one of the more acoustic, ready for a sing-a-long songs from the album.
We Need to Talk brings back the synthy soaked sounds that are consistent on the record. It is also the first song which pretty much brings the shade to the table. As the album progresses it is obvious the songs are written right off the bat of a pretty bad breakup. But, with songs like this, the catchy, pop-esque sound covers up the relatively emo lyrics. This song is relatable for me on a personal note because honest to blog, FUCK THE 100.
Not Warriors is the one single I couldn't get into, but hearing it in the context of the album, it truly fits the direction their music is heading for. The synths are back (the synths are sad).
Lucky People is a song I don't really want to talk about but should mention because A) I love it but B) It's emo as heck (especially when matched with the music video). It gives listeners a break from the rock elements and is a good old classic, eat your heart out, emo acoustic love song.
Rare brings back the rock dynamic that was first seen in Blonde, though less heavy. When I first heard this song I instantly thought it would fit so well in a coming of age movie. I don't really know why, I guess I have this kink for songs that fit that brief. I particularly enjoy the breakdown part towards the end of the song.
I'm going to get to the point and just say that TANTRUM is the sound of this generation. This is drawn from the fact it is angry, drags the heck out of everything, and is basically a giant F U to everything. It is also just so damn hilarious, with the distorted auto-tuned voice. I cannot wait to hear this live because I can guarantee it is going to GO OFF!
I've seen a lot of people dissing Crybaby and honestly, it's probably cause I am the biggest emo baby, but I LOVE THIS SONG. I just think it's quite different. I don't think I need to be in an emo mood to enjoy it, which is nice, as usually that is reserved for songs that make me bawl. I cannot stress how much I love the 'nothing, nothing good comes from late night thinking, don't you, don't you know it's that gloom boy season?' because A) the style of how it sounds is SICK B) I love the repeated start of each line and C) GLOOM HECKING BOYS!
Sleep Alone is also one of the rockier bops on Entertainment. I have to say it wasn't particularly a stand out track for me, but nonetheless, it showcases the clever elements of sound and lyrics which Parx bring to this record.
Personally, I preferred Entertainment to their debut album Double Dare. I think it's more polished and I really enjoyed the synthy elements (and the shade, there was A LOT of shade). If you like good music, and just want to have a good time, I would highly recommend listening to Entertainment. On a final note, though it may only be January, I am already ticking this off as one of my albums of the year.
Favourite songs: Crybaby, Tantrum, Blonde, Lucky People and We Need to Talk.
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