sundayclub capture the ache of pre-nostalgia on their new single, 'Blue Wave'
Words: Ed Fry
★★★★☆
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‘Blue Wave’ is the latest single from sundayclub, the Winnipeg-based, dreamy-shoegaze-pop, “band-to-watch” of Courtney Carmichael and Nikki St. Pierre. The track joins ‘Camera Shy’ as the second single from their upcoming debut album ‘SUNDAYCLUB’.
Photo: Evie Maynes
‘Blue Wave’ is a track that encapsulates the band’s signature aesthetic. Start listening to the track, and you immediately visualise grainy music videos, hazy, Super-8- or digicam-style, with that soft glow around the edges. It’s a song to waste away summer days, but in some ways, not waste them at all.
Musically, the song is a masterclass in texture and production. It opens with lo-fi percussion that’s quickly joined by a driving, 1975-esque bassline that pounds throughout the song, backing their shimmering wall of shoegaze sound. Immediately, it strikes you that sundayclub didn’t forget about the verses; they’re just as catchy as any pop chorus.
Although the production relies heavily on reverb and intricate layers, it remains remarkably clear. The mix allows Carmichael’s vocals to drift from staccato baritones to soaring falsettos without losing the track’s emotional weight. The title itself, referencing Carmichael's first car, serves as a grounding anchor for the chorus’ lyrics about "driving away" and "good old days". It’s here that you start to question: are the "good old days" behind us, or are they happening in real time, despite our inability to see them?
The only way I could see sundayclub improving this track is something spiky somewhere, a little punching guitar solo or clever synth part that manifested as an ear worm, maybe we'll be treated to that on another of their album tracks.
‘Blue Wave’ does, however, avoid the temptation of a cliché, crushing crescendo to end their latest single. They opt instead for a slow fade. It feels more honest. For the state of mind this song depicts, it works perfectly. In a world of streaming singles, it’s quite lovely to have a track full of yearning that doesn’t fit the 2020’s mould, and I want to hear more.
This seems like a not-so-subtle sign their album ‘SUNDAYCLUB’ is worth listening to, start to finish, when it’s released on July 10th.