They did it. Flavor Wave unveil today their second album to date, ‘Lonely Animals’. Out now via Free Dive Collective, the record finds its strength in the group’s aural eclecticism, taking a step back from their usual alt-rock grittiness in favour of a more diverse sound – yet, one that still champions fuzzy guitars as its foundation element. Embracing groovier rhythms, funk, and indie-pop influences, Flavor Wave pen a catchy, vibrant record, one that’s likely to appeal to a pretty wide audience out there.
Packing twelve wholesome pieces, ‘Lonely Animals’ is an album deeply tied to the humans behind the project. Having endured challenging personal experiences and a great deal of character growth, the five Pennsylvania-based amigos seek to match their mood by writing music that simply makes sense to them right at this moment. That’s how we end up with such a kaleidoscopic, uplifting and partly playful record. Comparing the jazz, soul flavoured ‘Tuesday’ and ‘Motivation’ to their indie counterparts ‘Outta Control’ and title track ‘Lonely Animals’ will provide enough evidence of Flavor Wave’s striking eclecticism.
Delving deeper into the inspiration behind ‘Lonely Animals’, lead vocalist and drummer Josh Speaker explains: “Our sophomore album is a project that I can best describe as an emotional and stylistic evolution of our sound. The theme of this album revolves around our identity, who we are, and who we perceive ourselves to be. Sometimes I felt like I didn’t know what title I was meant for, but every time I hit the stage and the music started playing, there was no doubt in my mind who I was.” As always, we find Tyler Ripley on production duties.
What was once an alt-rock project has now bloomed into an all-encompassing bundle of joyful eclecticism. Drawing from fuzzy guitars as much as they do from funk-powered keys, Flavor Wave have reached their best-ever shape.
Recommended! Discover ‘Lonely Animals’ on Spotify:
