It's hard to believe that California quintet Waterstrider's last release (aside from a Little Dragon cover) was almost a two years ago but here we are. Gearing up for their first big jaunt across the continental US, the fivesome released new single "Redwood" to ring in the occasional.
One of my favorite things about Waterstrider is how they wear their African influences so proudly on their sleeves without just churning out reductive copies of what they love. "Redwood" is no different - the percussion elements essentially imbue all of it's tropical flavor without relying solely on them to make it work. Waterstrider play both with the precision of a band that know each other inside and out and a certain rhythmic looseless that lends itself well to the sun-kissed reveries they're often conjuring. Waterstrider's greatest strength is their ability to make it's various moving parts interlock in just the right ways.
There's no rigidity in Waterstrider's playing which lends itself rather successfully toward the hang out vibe of their music. The lack of intensity; of immediacy; of tension, grants Waterstrider's tracks a definitive sense of freedom - of open plains, spent in frolic with some of your best pals.
No comments:
Post a Comment