Chicago based band Whitney dropped their debut Light Upon The Lake last year. The debut, released under eponymous Secretly Canadian label, secured them performances around the world, including this year's Primavera Sound in Barcelona, where I had a chance to kind of rediscover them. Whitney is founded by Max Kakacek, a drummer, and Julien Ehrlich, th main vocalist who was also member of Unknown Mortal Orchestra. With the breakup of Smith Westerns, two friends started writing lyrics and music for their debut. When they entered the studio, they have become a sextet, and recently the sevent member joined.
Generally speaking, Light Upon The Lake is an indie rock album with a lot of indie pop and psychedelic notes, but it is also a major indie folk rock. Just take a listen to Red Moon and title track. With that being said, th album does not offer anything new nor intriguing, but it sounds almost perfect. It is conceptually well-rounded and instrumentally abundant. This longplay record is warm, serious and simple material without any crucial flaws.
Although the main theme is the loss of loved one, the album is not heavy to listen to. Easy melodies, mirthful vibes and guitar riffs dominate the soundscape. Lyrics are always straightforward, and the messages are mostly optimistic and positive, tentative to spread hope after a breakup in which you lost your best friend and lover.
Golden Days and Dave's Song are diamonds of the album. Plethora of orchestrations with brilliantly combined instrumentals and guitar solos complement sleazy male falsetto, giving the song the right to be dignified. Althouth, these are still unintrusive tunes. The Falls and No Matter Where We Go are catchy, upbeat, summer jams that every indie soul will gratify with maximum volume. The most personal songs come off as the most melancholic ones - No Woman and Polly.
Ten short songs last for only thirty minutes and they have so much to offer. Each one of them is beautiful in its own mixture of simplicity and complexity. The only obstacle could be singer's annoying vocal, but it tends to grow on you the more you listen to it. In my humble opinion, what makes Light Upon The Lake special is that its creators didn't try to sound intelligent or pretentious. It's as If they have recorded one of their morning jamm sessions and put it out there on the market. Great debut, Whitney!
