Track Listing
Millionaire
The World
Elevation
Seventeen
Barry Gibb Was My Landlord
Better Place
The New Wave of British Denim
Next Romance
Hardships Will Happen
Flip Forever
Manchester band Waco mixes together an array of sounds to create a string of well-developed songs. The immediate genre is punk rock with sneers for good measure, and then we’re taken to a fuzzy backdrop where everything is colourful and calm. Though this is true, the band also feels downtrodden at times, and their lyrics reflect this. Sometimes the lyrical content bares all, but it doesn’t kill the vibes.
Rock Spirit Absolute Joy is punk personified, and the act knows how to construct riffs that compels to the point where good times are on the horizon, though the band still feels the strain of a crisis. This crisis is shaped by the band’s feelings, their broken optimism, and the world’s current climate. So many of these songs centre around self-loathing too, and that’s a feature that seems to be a mainstay in many tracks these days.
‘Millionaire’ starts the record off with brash percussion and attitude. It seems everything is fine, but it isn’t, not really. The stab of rock appeals, and the lyrics reflect a man on the edge. ‘Seventeen’ calms the rush and the vocals echo, while the guitars settle into a rhythm. Again, not everything seems jubilant.
‘Next Romance’ commits to acoustic flair and the vocals are toned well as a result, with sing-along vibes. It’s a shaped song, full of melancholia.
‘Hardships Will Happen’ raises the volume yet again, and the song epitomizes good honest song-writing and undertones.
Waco is a band that isn’t truly happy, and while the music may seem magical and colourful, there’s an undercurrent of bad dreams and melancholic influences.
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Verdict - 7/10
7/10