Irish indie rockers The Academic have pretty much grown on us throughout the end of last year. It is only natural to kick off the 2018 year in music with their debut album, Tales From The Backseat!
Tales From The Backseat is a fun upbeat record balancing rock instrumentals with slightly tropical alt-pop vibes, along with lyrics of life and finding oneself in early adulthood – a sound personally preferred as a spring release, yet perfect to shake up the post-holiday winter blues that January brings. Already familiar with singles “Permanent Vacation” and “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” there is much more to be discovered here.
“Bear Claws” is outstanding as the ultimate road trip song and is slightly more energetic than the rest of the tracks. It seems like as if the band drew inspiration from the usual pop-punk anthems in structure (guitar solo, sing-along worthiness), which worked out in favor of the whole record. The playfulness of tracks “Bite My Tongue” and “Fake ID” is evident that if Vampire Weekend do not return any time soon, The Academic are here to claim the crown.
“Girlfriends” starts out with the story of young rebels in the first verse and goes to idyllic lengths of songwriting by the chorus. The contrasting nature elements of sunlight and moonlight in the lyrics go well with the folk/Americana style the song takes on. It is a surprising twist that shows how genres feed from each other and it is possible to overlap them into successful variety within one record.
Looks like The Academic, so early in their career, have figured out how to leave a lasting impression on the listener. Let’s hope the genuine enthusiasm of these newcomers will last longer than a debut album. We will surely stick around to witness firsthand what the future brings for the band.
