Alohaha’s hazy new single is the only time underwhelming has been a good thing.
Let’s begin by saying that Alohaha have the best band name I’ve come across in a while, because I’m a sucker for portmanteaus. So it would be a horrible shame if their latest track Welcome To Your New Life (or WTYNL as it will hereby be known) was disappointing or underwhelming.
In all honesty, the track is slightly underwhelming. But that is a very intentional thing. It’s a sinking stream of elongated guitars that form a mesh underlayer to the carelessly carefree vocals that give the track a strong stoner vibe. So if it was anything other than underwhelming, it’d stink of a try hard attitude that would ruin the whole song.
Instead this hazy underdelivery makes the song really worth listening to. Like an indie-pop equivalent to easy listening, WTYNL is a non-taxing and enjoyably relaxing piece of music that hits every mark it sets out to. It’s a lazy pop song, held together by loose instrumentation and drifting melodies. It’s a chemistry that works perfectly.
It’s impossibly rare to find a song where an underwhelming, understated delivery is a good thing. But with WTYNL, it’s a magnificent thing that makes for a solid single.
..couldn’t agree more!..great post, really see what you mean about an understated sound. I featured their new track ‘Nausea’ today as well as debut single…def one to watch out for!