Slumberland is one of those labels I note, but haven’t really dove into. The Umbrellas fit my expectations of the label’s sound though. It’s distinctly modern songwriting, but with a wave of sounds from yesterday. I’ll call this power-pop washed in the folk and psyche rock of the ‘60s, with a bit of twee and British invasion and dreamy indie influence too. That’s a lot of descriptors. Instead I’ll just tell you to put away your black t-shirt and break out your cardigan for this one.
Fairweather Friend has 10 distinct songs, alternating lead vocalists, but with each containing soft melodies, touching harmonies, and pristine guitar tones. But it’s not something where you can just say they wrote a bunch of folk songs and set them to ’60s-tinged rock. There’s a lot of nuance here. The rumbling bass drum in “Toe the Line” is one instance, and that heavy drum mix surfaces at a few more points. “Goodbye” gives a similar spotlight on the percussion and it really changes the dynamic. Later, the guitar on “PM” has me thinking of The Cure and ‘90s college rock underneath those soothing melodies. That’s the nuance in their songwriting.
The core sound begins with the positive vibes of ‘60s San Francisco and it really works. There aren’t many songs I legitimately enjoy that sing about flowers, but somehow it just feels so on point when they open “Say What You Mean” with the lyric, “Marigolds are for the weekend.” The beauty of any music is what you feel, not what’s written on paper, and The Umbrellas have that intangible vibe that’s a little bit hippie, but also a little blue collar with some dirty rock ‘n’ roll scruff that’s scratching at the surface. I view it as artists who see a bleak world, but paint a dreamy alternative landscape for escape. And we all need that escape.
