So, this review…

Having a brief look over it has made me glad that I’ve “improved” since 2015.

This is pretty rough, but I think I got across what I was trying to say. I think.

I hope you enjoy.

—

Now on their seventh album, The Waifs have been around for a fair while.
They’ve had the occasional break here and there but it hasn’t stopped them from being consistent when it comes to their musical quality. With that being said, here’s the review of their new album:

Beautiful You starts with “Black Dirt Track”, an excellent choice for opening the album.
A gentle, welcoming track, it gradually builds on its foundations (simple guitar and bass drum) and near the end sounds as though it is going to explode into something larger but instead rescinds and comes to a soft ending.

It is a good representation of the progression of the remainder of the album. However, instead of ending softly, Beautiful You closes with the highly danceable “February”, a song that sounds as though it was influenced by country and boogie. It seems as though it is going to be a quiet track until about fifty seconds in, when it picks up pace and rocks out until the end. It’s a great way to wrap up as much of the album sounds quite upbeat.

In between the opener and closer, the songs move between folk and country with great ease. The songs all sit together nicely with nothing feeling out of place or underdeveloped.
Much of it is slow-paced and tender in sound, but it doesn’t feel long.
Everyone keeps it simple but play well, focusing on keeping the mood of the songs equal with the sound.

The vocals sound warm and creamy. Everyone puts in a solid performance and it seems as though they’re working to build on the instrumentation instead of singing over it.
When things are quiet, the vocals pull back and when things pick up, they increase in strength. It’s fair to say that the band were confident with the lyrics they wrote as no one sounds as though they’re second-guessing themselves.

Speaking of, lines such as “And it must be fate that I would see you in a day / after all those nights that I dreamed of what I’d say if by happenstance we would meet again” and “Beautiful you / You got caught up in a web of trying” seem to indicate that much of the lyrical content is about the notions surrounding love more than love (or romance) itself.
They are incredibly well-written; nothing sounds awkward or out of place.
Much of the lyrics don’t come off as being the happiest out there, but as much of the album is upbeat in sound, the vocal delivery leads them to sound upbeat as well.

The first time I listened to Beautiful You, aside from a few short moments, I did not like it.
On the second play I thought it was a bit boring. After that, I found it growing on me as I began to appreciate its subtleties and how it flowed. Nothing feels off about it and it doesn’t overstay its welcome. It is a well-written album backed with a solid performance.

It’s good.