2.5/5 stars
On the cover of The Waifs’ live albumA Brief History, the core trio are bundled up together in the back of what appears to be a touring van; grinning and carefree.
The album art for their seventh LP, however, paints a different tale – the band members are walking through a field, keeping distance from one another, awkwardly half-smiling. The rhythm section is there, too, almost imposing. Yes, don’t judge a book by its cover. Still, something is quite clearly up on Beautiful You – and it shows in the songs themselves.
This album feels as though it stems from obligation rather than inspiration – a slow waltz through the motions without any of the spirit and warmth that brought them to acclaim to begin with. ‘Dark Highway’ and ‘Cracks Of Dawn’ aimlessly meander and drag along structurally, while an attempt at misfit love storytelling (‘Rowena And Wallace’) is bitched from the start due to its cringeworthy opener: “A skateboard boy from a skateboard town / Wore his hoodie up, pants hangin’ down”.
The Waifs have penned their share of folk rock anthems in the past, but there are none to be found on Beautiful You. Perhaps a clean break is needed to maintain dignity.
The Waifs’Beautiful Youis out through Jarrah/MGM.
