Self-Titled

The Colourist – The Colourist

After the release of their first EP, Lido, and garnering attention for their single, “Little Games,” the Colourist’s new self-titled album, The Colourist combines everything that the band has worked towards. This Orange County quartet consists of Adam Castilla on vocals and guitar, Maya Tuttle on drums and vocals, Kollin Johannsen on guitar, and Justin Wagner on bass and keyboard. Originally collaborating together in the band, Paper Thin Walls, Castilla and Tuttle eventually branched off together to front the Colourist together. The band most certainly have their own sound, however, on The Colourist, it seems as though they are still trying to form it.

Upbeat vocals are met with lyrics about love and heartbreak on The Colourist and the majority of the lyrics never seem to want to stray from living in the moment. But, this theme about young love and living in the now seems to be a bit too r Tuttle’s bright vocals contrasts Castilla’s timid but strong singing. The harmonies between the two vocalists are what makes the album standout as they are both catchy and lively. Tuttle’s bright vocals contrast Castilla’s timid but strong singing. The harmonies between the two vocalists are what makes the album standout because of how catchy and lively they are.

The Colourist’s usage of full-band instrumentation gives them somewhat of a more natural sound to their powerpop music. Throughout The Colourist, the guitar is animated and energetic. The entire album has a sort of 80’s feel to it with their polished guitar riffs and piano. The drums on this record are simple, with straightforward rhythms and an upbeat flow. Tuttle makes danceable dance beats even without the use of a drum machine. This easiness adds to the tone of the album, bright and carefree. The Colourist adds their own organic twist to powerpop in this debut.

The Colourist shows that on this debut, they can make light and memorable indie pop, but it seems as though in today’s music world, this is nothing out of the ordinary. Even with that in mind, there is no doubt that this debut by the Colourist is fun and, with pun intended, colorful.

Young & Sick – Young & Sick

The brainchild of Dutch artist, Nick Van Hofwegen, Young & Sick is a music and art project that has created artwork for musicians such as Foster the People and Mikky Ekko. He recently released a self-titled album on Harvest Records, Young & Sick is definitely a band to watch. Young & Sick has a lot to offer with groovy R&B melodies, powerful vocals, and interesting rhythms. The writing, performance, production, and album artwork was all done by Hofwegen and this album is a stunning debut by the artist. Young & Sick has positively-charged music but can transition to jazzy slow ballads with ease.

Hofwegen’s vocals are smooth and breezy and gives Young & Sick elements that adds a charming mood to the grooves of the synthesizers. His falsettos are impressive throughout the album and he knows his abilities and never tries to force it upon listeners. The harmonies are soft and gives a sort of calming nature to his falsetto. The album has some fun lyrics in it that are memorable, especially in “Mangrove,” and gives the album an alluring atmosphere. The vocal trills on Young & Sick are amazing and the gospel-like tones throughout the album are fascinating.

Young & Sick has incredibly groovy synthesizer melodies and rhythms and this album effectively shows that Hofwegen can develop his own sound without straying far from his influences. There is something unique to Hofwegen’s instrumentations, whether it is his laid back tiempo or his captivating usage of the synthesizer. The bass line at the end of “Counting Raindrops” is amazing and gives the song an infectious feeling to it. The mixture of R&B beats with retro synths and modern technology gives a sound to Young & Sick that is unique to him.

With impressive harmonies and rhythms, there is no doubt that Young & Sick will establish himself not only as an artist but also as a musician with this debut album. With various stand out tracks such as “Mangrove” and “Counting Raindrops,” this self-titled debut will launch Hofwegen’s career further than where it has gone thus far.

Warpaint – Warpaint

As their first album that they have written together as a band, Warpaint’s self-titled album, Warpaint, is a minimalist sound that seems to suit Warpaint and their music. Formed on Valentine’s Day 2004, the current line-up for the band consists of Emily Kokal on vocals and guitar, Theresa Wayman on guitar and vocals as well, Jenny Lee Lindberg bass and backing vocals, and Stella Mozgawa on drums. Written mostly onstage during soundchecks, Warpaint worked on the songs more with acoustic guitars and percussion once back in the studio. Warpaint has a different sound to it than their first album, The Fool, as Warpaint has a much richer depth to it.

With ghostly vocals, Wayman and Kokal have an alluring appeal to their voices, which can draw an audience in. Lyrically, Warpaint is focused more on the distant and vacancy vocals rather than emotional depth in the writing. However, they do still have a kind of urgency to them that make the vocals even more intriguing. There is something entrancing on this album when it comes to the vocals. Whether it is the softness of the voices of Wayman and Kokal or the hypnotic tone of their voices.

With fascinating rhythms and an abundance of interesting guitar melodies, Warpaint is something that is full of lovely and layered music. Dynamics are subtle but ever so important throughout the album as the music climaxes and then meet its quiet end. There are few parts throughout the album that this subtleness is a bit off putting, such as in “CC,” but then again, this is what makes the album what it is. Also, their mixture of electronic sounds with acoustic guitar and drum machines seem to add an effect to Warpaint’s music that makes them unique to themselves.

Warpaint has certain sound to them that draws listeners in from the first lesson. Whether it is their soft vocals or intriguing mixture of electronics and guitar, there is something that anyone can find in Warpaint that they like. Warpaint’s psychedelic ambience in their experiment of a second album is something that will take patience to fully appreciate but worth the experience.