“What if everything’s as perfect as we suspected it would be?”
I still remember how I first discovered Microwave, and I feel like a lot of fans have the same story. It was simply due to Soupy from The Wonder Years tweeting about how good and underrated they were, back in 2014 I think. I then checked out their debut album, Stovall, because I trusted Soupy with my life at that point, and I was immediately floored by the lush vocals and impactful song writing. They became one of my favorite bands that I’ve continued to champion at any opportunity since then. Their full-length album releases following their debut, Much Love, then Death is a Warm Blanket, are both contemporary rock masterpieces that only reinforced my loyalty to Atlanta based group.
It has been a long time coming for the follow up to 2019’s Death is a Warm Blanket, however. They have released a slew of singles over the past couple years, all of which have made it onto the upcoming Let’s Start Degeneracy. “Ferrari”, “Circling the Drain”, and “Straw Hat” were released with a psychedelic purple artwork that had fans raving about when “the purple album would be announced?” Finally, in February of this year, along with the single “Bored of Being Sad”, Let’s Start Degeneracy was announced, and is out this Friday via Pure Noise Records.
I only alluded to it in the introduction to this review, but my relationship with this album is complicated, and that is mostly due to the rollout of the album. As I mentioned, 3 singles were released before the album was announced, and then a 4th with the announcement. And then a 5th closer to the release date. On a 10-track album, that’s already stretching the limits of what can be released ahead of time. Then add onto that fact that album intro “Portals” is a rendition of “Softly and Tenderly”, albeit a beautiful and peaceful one. And the penultimate track, “Concertito in G Major”, is very much an interlude, though once again, a very pretty and impactful piece of music that leads into “Huperzine Dreams”. So that leaves a whopping three full tracks for fans to delve into for the album’s release. The feel that an album is finally here and presenting one with a slew of new tracks is not irrelevant to a listener’s enjoyment; I at least feel that way myself and know many others who would agree. Despite that, I feel comfortable talking about the music within the album removed from the context of the rollout, but certain feelings regarding the album as a whole will linger.
After the intro, most of the singles are in a consecutive row. First is “Ferrari”, which, like a lot of the album, is a softer, introspective cut with layered ethereal production all over it. The drums don’t even enter the track until halfway through, but it’s a great song writing choice as even though it’s a shorter and more relaxing track, the simple action of the drums beginning, and vocalist Nathan Hardy switching his delivery ever so slightly, acts as a bit of a climax to a cut that would otherwise seem a bit half baked.
“Circling the Drain” is so reminiscent of some of their earlier work, that I assume fans must all love this one. You get the twangy intro riff and moody vocal delivery by Nathan, and the bass and drums (Tyler Hill and Timothy Pittard), play so measuredly in a jam sesh type of style. It really lives in the sonic space of a lot of the band’s material that so many fans have latched onto. And it picks up the pace for the chorus too, as the band is famously not afraid to get heavier, though this would be far from their heaviest.
“I could really give a fuck about anything.
I’m just blowing raspberries and circling the drain.
Fucking with what’s right in front of me.
No one can give you peace.
No one can take it away.
Yeah, we can build a new religion.
Write a new alphabet.
I’m here justifying the future.
Not redeeming the dead,
My father says, ‘you’ve gotta go along to get along.’
And I do.”
These lyrics are dripping with jadedness for the state of the world, quality of life, and how politics affects it all. The band stated in an interview, that the album’s title, Let’s Start Degeneracy, is taken from “a conservative politician’s take on drugs in 1970” and that overall it’s about “learning to be happy and take care of yourself” and I think these lyrics fit that theme.
As I stated, “Bored of Being Sad” was released along with the album’s announcement, and I think this was perhaps the best decision with respect to the rollout, because this is the perfect song to announce an album with. The chorus is huge, perhaps the best you’ll hear all year across all genres. The tempo is picked up and the emotional is dialed to 11. Nathan’s vocals are dripping with passion too; the band is firing on all cylinders. Lyrically, it’s also just perfectly cooked up for fans to latch onto with how catchy both the verses and chorus are. I also love how the bridge is a pseudo second chorus delivery (before the true second delivery) as it’s more of a brief deconstruction of the track; it takes a great knowledge of the moving parts of the song and how the song works to pull it off this well, and the band does.
The title track immediately makes an impact, as the song is funky and bass driven, and it stays that way. As usual Nathan’s vocal performance is one to commend, but this track doesn’t grab me as much as I want it to. On paper, it’s a fun listen sonically, but it simultaneously comes and goes as well as overstays it’s welcome. We’re in the stretch of new tracks on the album, though, so there’s lots to talk about. “Omni” is a notable change of pace, as the guitar is more poppy and punchier, and I like the juxtaposition with Nathan actually giving a softer vocal performance than one would expect given the instrumental arrangement here. It’s a pleasant cut, but lacking a little oomph. The same can be said of “Strangers.” Once again, Nathan is doing something interesting here, with an almost smoker-esque, cadence to his voice. There are certain sound effects present in the track that give it a sneaky, downtrodden vibe, like that of someone navigating the slums of a city at night. Truthfully, both of these tracks are a hard eval for me. On paper, they’re great songs and I actively enjoy listening to them, but they do maybe fall slightly flat when considering that they’re Microwave tracks, which means the standard is higher.
The album then closes with the aforementioned “Concertito in G Major” in to “Huperzine Dreams.” The former is so immersive with the sounds of a dripping shower in the background, the haunting piano, the sounds of what might be a firework; it really sets the mood. “Huperzine Dreams” is a feat of song writing and one of the better tracks I’ve heard this year. It’s a perfect mix of lo-fi keys, smooth bass and drums, and Nathan is once again nailing it. I also love how the motif from the Concertito with the person singing in the background is brought back. The song is as somber lyrically as the instrumental implies. We get lyrics that touch on themes of not caring, and self-destruction, such as “in a pair of green shades, running every red light // feeding the flame oxygen, feeling the room start spinning.” I could’ve have asked for a better ending track, though I do, as usual, question the decision to release the closer as a single, no matter how great.
And with that, after a 5 year wait, the Microwave album comes and goes. The collection of songs on Let’s Start Degeneracy is undeniably a strong one, and the variety within the track list makes for a fresh listen each time that can win over any type of fan. The band explored a wide range of sonics that, despite that, fit within one theme. Every song is lush and full of emotion and well performed. The main caveat, as I’ve mentioned, is what amounts to just 3 full new songs for a listener on album release day. But at this point, I just hope Microwave continues with their great career, maybe with less than a 5 year wait next time.
8/10
To support them, check out the album when it drops on April 26th, or pre-order it here.