Waterplanet's newest release, "Spell It Out," is a colorful, genre-bending journey that features the band's most dynamic and emotionally transparent work to date. The four-song collection is so thoughtfully put together, with psych-folk textures, indie-pop warmth, and scalding lyrical introspection, and the palette alternates between intimate and electrifying.
And in just 11 minutes and 11 seconds, the duo that would be Millie Landrum and James Hesser deftly plumbs the depths of awkwardness, overanalysis, self-empowerment, and how it really does take a bit of bravery to get through. Produced at Plaid Dog Recording in Waltham, MA by Ryan Gallagher, "Spell It Out" is a significant step forward in both sound and ambition for Waterplanet.
Gallagher's presence brings out the best in the band's natural chemistry and hones their raw emotion while keeping things so real that longtime fans have come to love. The result is an EP seemingly broader, braver, and bolder than any of the material that has come before. The EP opener "Supersonic" detonates with garage-rock power and a surprising brass section featuring noted Boston-area musicians. It is an opening that creates a deep breath.
Waterplanet transforms into the punk-propelled dynamism of "Get Out of Bed," a song that best captures the battle between anxiety and motivation. It is cutting, relevant, and decidedly honest. The odyssey continues with the bright, delicate psychedelia of "Under, Over," as the duo explores new atmospheric backdrops and a pulsing, psychic discombobulation that's thrillingly disorienting even as it's soothing.
The EP closes with "Force of Nature," an obvious favorite. The slow climb to a cathartic, triumphant finish is representative of Waterplanet's songwriting abilities, where you find songs that bloom with emotional content. The result is stabilizing and subtly triumphant as an anthem for everyone who needs to have faith in the progress they've made. "Spell It Out" is a call for clarity, presence, and perseverance. This undertaking puts Waterplanet in the upper tier of audacious storytellers and fearless sound adventurers, an experience that lasts.
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