Formed in 2011, Walter TV is a Canadian indie band – 2/3rds of which is comprised of Pierce McGarry and Joe McMurray, two musicians perhaps best known for their work in Mac DeMarco’s live band.
Carpe Diem (released on September 8th) marks the group’s third – and best – record to date, equipped with a similar but improved sound when compared to 2013’s Appetite and 2015’s Blessed. Like those two albums, it’s impossible to listen to Carpe Diem without artists like Animal Collective coming to mind; manifold instrumentation, dynamic and distinct vocals, and poppy yet hectic sounds are all abundant.
Although a band that has traditionally stayed within the realm of lo-fi recording, Walter TV here find themselves making a leap toward a more polished end product. However, the album’s sonic palette is still far from pure cleanliness with shimmering, hazy, dream-like effects abundant throughout. This is perhaps most apparent in “Graceland,” a track that sounds as if it was lifted straight from Animal Collective’s Strawberry Jam due to its layered, chorus-heavy guitars jangling over a consistent pounding rhythm. The song is undoubtedly a standout, along with the surf-rock-reminiscent “U + Y,” memorable for its sugary melody and ever-shifting pace. These tracks might be standouts, but they are not outliers. Overall, Carpe Diem makes for an incredibly satisfying and progressive entry in Walter TV’s discography due to its constantly engaging sonic experimentation and effective, gripping songcraft.
Recommended If You Like: Animal Collective, Panda Bear, Dan Deacon, Dirty Projectors
Recommended Tracks: 2 (Graceland), 3 (Spring Time), 9 (U + Y)
Do Not Play: None
Written by Sully Dyvad on 10/26/2017