Brothertiger is a champion of chillwave. While I’m fairly new to the genre (meaning I finally discovered what genre I’d been listening to for two months was) I can already see the musicians that make chillwave music, and those who have simply jumped on the bandwagon, employing the typical lo-fi 80’s synths with a sickening abrasiveness. Brothertiger certainly uses that 80’s aesthetic, but melds it with modern sensibilities and catchy tunes. While many chillwave albums adhere to a similar emotion or rhythm, Golden Years is refreshingly varied in these areas. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t flow together; the ten tracks share different ideas and emotions, but are all consistently light and easy-going. The songs refrain from the typical lo-fi sound of the genre, and even the 80’s synth sounds are muted. They exist, but avoid the harsh over-retro-ifying noise that fills much of chillwave. I enjoy that sort of sound, but it’s hard to show it to anyone without them thinking it’s just gimmicky. I wouldn’t call it an evolution of the genre, but I enjoy the depth of a more varied sound. While some might say chillwave is a fad, Golden Years is evidence that it’s far more than that.
A Lovers Affair
The standout here is undoubtedly “Lovers,” and almost at the detriment of the rest of the album. The track is so strong I’m constantly waiting for it to play, and I’m elated when it finally does come up towards the end. After listening through the album a few times I eventually just started playing “Lovers” first every time I listened to it, with shuffle turned on. There’s also a wonderful remix of it on Bothertiger’s Point of View EP, which doubles my already immature amount of playing the song.
Overall
Golden Years is a fantastic highlight of chillwave albums. While not all songs are equal, I never feel the urge to press ‘skip’ on any of them either. - Album Articulate |
