Kicking off their North American tour in style, TOPS has released their newest single, "Waiting," just in time for their first gig on the circuit in San Antonio, Texas.
While San Antonio is more than a stone's throw from Montreal, where the four-piece outfit kicks it these days, it is a welcome change of scenery as they have put this tour on hold for the better part of two years.
"Waiting" follows-up their last single, "Party Again," which dropped a few months back acting as an anthem to return to live shows following their long hiatus. "Waiting" provides an alternative vibe to "Party Again" as their new single speaks primarily of nostalgia–both the positives and negatives associated with it. "I’m a very nostalgic person and the last year only made me more so," says lead singer Jane Penny. "Nostalgia cuts both ways, memories of my past fed me during that time, but became so vivid that they began to seep the colour from the present."
Penny's vocals have undeniably always been the biggest draw to TOPS from the beginning and in "Waiting," we see her channel a 1980s Stevie Nicks with Fleetwood Mac kind of feel that has always been present but executed to near perfection over the three-minute track.
Penny reflects intimately while David Carriere's tasty guitar weaves throughout to create one of those special tracks that can make one cut a rug and shed a tear while doing so. "I wrote this song as a tribute to the early days of TOPS and the romanticized version that I have of those times, but it became an exploration of the effect of time in general. When I think back on my life, where am I?"
Though it is unclear to this point whether "Party Again" and "Waiting" will end up on their next album given that they haven't had a proper opportunity to tour their most recent LP, I Feel Alive, yet, TOPS will surely be playing them live as they play 25 shows across North America this fall ending in Los Angeles.
