Rating: NNN
Said The Whale’s latest EP is a collection of summertime songs that could have been the soundtrack to your high school romance – assuming your fling involved frolicking on beaches, taking your parents’ car on joyrides or getting to first base at the drive-in. The songs are flirty but so G-rated that even the best lyrics are dulled by all the saccharine sweetness.
The Vancouver-based band formed in 2007, when Canadian indie rock was in its heyday. I Love You is like a time capsule from that era – chockablock with singalong harmonies from the band’s two frontmen, Ben Worcester and Tyler Bancroft, jaunty keyboards, backing “ooh ooh”s and poppy guitar lines. This reluctance to change isn’t necessarily a fault. Theirs isn’t the most inventive approach, but it’s refreshing to see a band stick to their guns and not pander to the trend of the week.
Top track: Barbara-Ann
