Waterparks - Entertainment
By: Starr Brown
The three-piece band from Houston, TX that is slowly taking over lives just released their sophomore effort, Entertainment, and if you haven’t check it out already, you’re missing out.
Following up their 2016 debut, Double Dare, Entertainment is the next logical progression of the Waterparks sound. Never truly fitting into one category or another, their sound has slowly been evolving from debut EP, Airplane Conversations. Each release has taken what fans love and grown with the band over the last six years.
Opening with “11:11” and flowing into the first single off the album “Blonde,” both tracks feel like a continuation from where Double Dare left off. Guitar driven with melted in electronic backing, both tracks build to choruses that you can clearly picture fans singing along to at the top of their lungs when played live.
“Peach (Lobotomy)” is where you first see the evolution that Entertainment is taking the Waterparks sound. The track openings with huge strums on acoustic guitar and whishing that instantly grab your attention. You also can’t ignore what feels like a brass line humming in your ear between lyrics of the verse with distorted guitar hidden under the huge sound.
This hybrid of electronic rock that’s established in “Peach (Lobotomy)” continues through “We Need To Talk” and “Not Warriors.” While these still sound like Waterparks' tracks, you can hear the instrumental focus shift. If you listen to “We Need To Talk” on repeat, you can hear layers on layers from the random instrumental notes thrown in at the perfect time, to distorted vocals and electronic centered backing beats with distorted, layered effects guitar melodies thrown over the top of it all.
Interrupting the sound established in the previous tracks, after the acoustic centered track “Lucky People” you’re thrown back into the guitar driven sound that started the album. While “Rare” features everything that made Double Dare great, you can hear the musical maturity in the layers of vocals that echoes from one ear to another and synth echoing what’s played on guitar.
“TANTRUM” completely disrupts everything you thought about the Waterparks sound. Just when you think that you can fit it into a box and that you have it figured out, “TANTRUM” completely throws you off. Completely driven by huge, powerful guitar chords, you’re either going to love or hate this track. It’s loud. It’s angry. And it’s completely a tantrum about a breakup.
If you’re a fan of Waterparks prior to Entertainment’s release, you know that it’s the logical next step. It’s a safe album for the band that still pushes their limits and progresses them forward. For those just now looking to get into the three-piece, Entertainment is a perfect introduction into all things Parks boys.