Sweet Trip - You Will Never Know Why

If I made music, this would be it. Part of the same series of album reviews I wrote back in 2015.

I am so, so glad I found this band. Rarely do all my favourite genres and sounds come together like this. Very much like Stereolab (think ‘Acting’), but a lot less French and thus way more comprehensible to me, which is super appreciated. And I’m saying this as a huge Stereolab fan. I’m also a big fan of the harmony of male and female vocalists (many of my favourite bands entertain this concept – Pixies, Beat Happening, Black Tambourine, Air Miami). What a hidden gem. I’ve only listened to You Will Never Know Why, although I hear Velocity: Design: Comfort is their magnum opus. Oh, but YWNKW is so perfect already! When it’s good, it’s flawless. My enthusiasm can be a bit deceptive; maybe there are a couple of forgettable tracks. But I’m happy to overlook them. The highs are just that good.

Their lyrics are just adorable! Take ‘Air Supply’ for example: “Girls who spend their lives in disgusting gestures / Always seeking boys to relieve their tension / maybe you know better”.

It’s so naïve and cutesy - like something scribbled in a high school notebook - but set against this really transcendent, dreamy backdrop of sound. I love that dichotomy. I doubt that it’s intentional, but it’s all the more endearing to me. Especially since I have a soft spot for twee that I never quite outgrew. And their voices are lovely. They have that ethereal Elizabeth Fraser sound, but it’s less soprano, more lo-fi, flatter. Absolute perfection personified.

I can see this becoming favourite album-worthy with time.

Standout Tracks: “Acting”, “Air Supply”, “Milk”