Review: The Backseat Lovers – Waiting to Spill

5/5 Anchors

The Backseat Lovers are a band that have found their niche and fulfilled it perfectly. For fans of Indie-Rock, the Backseat Lovers are the perfect band. After a five-song EP, and a nine-song album that launched them into fame in 2019, expectations were very high for their upcoming music. Their 2019 album “When We Were Friends” hit the perfect range; it had a few chill songs, but it was mostly filled with their signature rock sound. One of the highlights of this album is “Kilby Girl” which, thanks to TikTok, has nearly 200 million total listens on Spotify. 

The consistent sound throughout their EP, their album, and all of the singles in between are why many fans are a little surprised to find out that their newest album “Waiting to Spill,” goes in a significantly different direction. 

The album is much slower and more relaxed when compared to their older music. For one, many songs in this album heavily feature piano, an instrument that did not exist in any of their songs before this album. Instead of relying on a lot of fast, complicated guitar licks like “When We Were Friends,” this album is much slower and much more melody-reliant. A good example of this change is the song “Words I Used.” With the exception of Joshua Harmon’s voice, the lead singer, this song sounds like a different band entirely. This even includes a violin which would have sounded completely out of place in their previous album.

All of this is not to say that it was bad. The change in tone landed perfectly on this album. And having heard both albums played live, it sounds even better in person. The folk sound blends perfectly with the singer’s voice. The instrumentation is sparse and tasteful when it needs to be, and full and excited when it wants. I would give 6 anchors if I could.