Three singles deep into the new Waterparks album you can already tell that a new era is upon us. We’re talking heartbreak, a sweet taste of techno backdrop, and frontman, Awsten Knight’s innermost feelings wound together to give you the band’s incredible second studio album, Entertainment. At first, I thought that “Blonde” was an interesting first single seeing as it is a guitar-heavy song; a black sheep in the mix of acoustic melodies and desperate love songs. However, after a clean run through the full-length, it is apparent that “Blonde’s” purpose was to provide fans with a smooth transition between the sound of their first full length Double Dare and newly released Entertainment.
The acoustic guitars and synthetic undertones are a staple of Waterparks’ new sound, as they shy away from the alternative vibes that brought them into the Warped Tour world. The band presents fans with embellished pop songs and bubblegum lyrics about falling in love, and the rollercoaster that feeling can be. A common theme wound tightly through the tracks is luck and its significance when it comes to the lovers discussed in the lyrics. Lines such as “I really thought you were my four leaf clover” (We Need To Talk) and “because we’re lucky people and you’ll never have to sleep alone” (Not Warriors) give listeners a taste of how this feeling of luck disappeared as the relationship came to an end.
The only real way to get to know a little bit about Waterparks’ inner-most thoughts is to decipher their lyrics song by song. The bands’ social media presence, often run by frontman Awsten Knight, is light-hearted, constantly happy, and humorous; something that doesn’t always show in their songs. Their music brings out a dark side of them that makes the band more endearing to fans seeing as you wouldn’t expect the kid with cotton candy blue hair to be singing lines such as “maybe if I kill myself you’ll know I’m sincere”; a line that seemingly comes out of nowhere in their signature “fuck this industry” song, “TANTRUM” that feels like the 2018 version of “Little Violence” off of Double Dare. These songs are my personal favorites from the albums because I admire how Waterparks isn’t afraid to lay it all out on the table and call out the underlying bullshit that comes with sudden fame and success in any of the entertainment industries.
All around, Entertainment’s sultry, psychedelic vibes with a bit of acoustic guitar throughout will leave a salty-sweet taste in the mouths of all listeners. Just as they did last year, Waterparks is ready to dive headfirst into more success than ever before as fans welcome this new era with open arms.