Young Liars – Tidal Wave

1 December 2020 / by Quincy Leung
Album Image for Young Liars - Tidal Wave (Released 2014-06-24  by Nettwerk)

Vancouver’s indie quartet Young Liars tugs on our heart-strings, leading us through a tidal wave of emotions. Following the ripples of their recent EP Night Window, the album Tidal Wave is sensual, reflective, and refreshing. The talented quartet comprised of guitarist-vocalist Jordan Raine, bassist Andrew Beck, keyboardist Wesley Nickel and drummer Ty Badali, leads us into a calm before the storm.

 

Young Liars sets the atmosphere with the “Odyssey of Love.” It brings in rhythmic calming synths and sweet electric tunes; Jordan Raine’s ethereal voice further amplifies the emotions of the odyssey, with Andrew, Wesley and Ty giving a rhythmic beat, smooth keyboard riffs and flashes of texture with Ty’s percussion. Somehow these distinct lines harmoniously meld together, creating a lightweight sound urging listeners to dive deeper into the album waves.

 

The title track “Tidal Wave” further elevates this calm sentiment within the album. “Tidal Wave” reels us in with a fresh feel of electric synth and some fragments of trance. The song is easily digestible into our souls and is something you can head nod and sing along with.

 

However, “U-Dreams” really makes this album worth listening to. “U-Dreams” highlights the group’s hard work in producing the album. In contrast with “Tidal Wave,” the pace is quicker, and drifts us into a dream—hoping not to wake up from how good it is. The song pulls us down into Jordan’s alluring dark imagery:

 

“The sound of the wave pushes me down, I am the siren but nothing comes out”

 

with the arrangement further emphasizing Jordan’s trance-like voice.

 

Tidal Wave is a variety pack of breezy light tunes and ripples of electric synth and is purely innocuous, perfectly representing a tidal wave.