Weeknites - Fate Is A Big Tiger
WEEKNITES DEBUTS ‘FATE IS A BIG TIGER’ LP
Seattle, Washington-based indie rock outfit Weeknites releases their debut album, Fate Is A Big Tiger, blending washes of dream-pop with post-punk emo savors.
Weeknites | Photo: Kevin Belford
Talking about the album, guitarist Dave Stine shares, “We started the album writing process as we were phasing out of a dirt rat lifestyle. Everything around us was changing personally and socially, and the album has this chaotic consistency to it that probably stemmed from all that. It was the only outlet we really had at the time, and it feels and sounds like we stuffed 3 years into 30 minutes.”
Formed in 2015, and initially embracing four members, Weeknittes released two EPs, followed by devolving into a duo: Davis Helgen and Dave Stine.
Talking about how the album took shape, Davis explains, “All day we would talk about the album we wanted to make. Something that combined mid-2000’s indie rock, Swedish pop, and emo. We set a bunch of arbitrary rules to follow that fit what we pictured as a ‘perfect album.’”
While Dave adds, “We wanted to lean into what we felt makes a record more than a playlist of 10 songs—we wanted to make an album, something big and complex. We aspired to create the type of music we felt we were missing which was something we would have read about on a blog in 2007.”
Another stellar track is “Drinking From The Lake,” merging pop coloration with emo tints and propulsive surfaces of dream-pop.
The concept of Fate Is A Big Tiger revolves around the internal and external challenges posed by growing older, including the usual physical aches and pains, as well as losing one’s six-pack, fading friendships, and marriage.
Self-produced and recorded here, there, and everywhere, the album received the imprimatur of Chris Walla, formerly of Death Cab for Cutie, who mixed the album in Norway.
Encompassing 10-tracks, the album begins with the title track, opening on low-slung, hazy layers of color, simultaneously ethereal and glowing with potency. Entry points include “Sour Berries,” a new wave-flavored indie-rock tune reminiscent of The Cranberries covering The Cure – full of jangly guitars and a driving rhythm topped by cashmere vocals.
“That’s Just Me Now” conjures up memories of Christopher Cross and Howard Jones. Silky, glossy vocals give the lyrics a velvety warmth, while the yummy chop of the rhythm captures listeners' attention. Rife with new wave pop textures, “Outdoors USA” spills out on plush, undulating layers of sound.
A personal favorite, “Pepper” rolls forth on an infectious, just-right rhythm as a luscious falsetto imbues the lyrics with posh savors. Whereas “Body Temp Spirits” features surges of hazy guitars supported by a dazzling rhythm.
Another stellar track is “Drinking From The Lake,” merging pop coloration with emo tints and propulsive surfaces of dream-pop. Shimmering and gleaming, the song offers scrummy opulent sheens of sonic hues.
Weeknites definitely have it going on! Layered with luxurious sprays of color, the songs spillover on soft tides of captivating sonic patinas.
