The Beaches are back with their defiant pop-rock sound on the Future Lovers EP. Two years after the release of their last EP, The Professional, Future Lovers is a worthwhile sequel.
"Bad Behaviour" starts with a riff that nods to the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go" before launching into a singalong-worthy anthem that's entirely the Beaches' signature sound, down to the call and response vocals between lead vocalist Jordan Miller and her bandmates.
True to the band's Toronto roots, the EP is filled with lyrics that reference recognizable local landmarks and figures including the Summerville pool, Mississauga, the King West neighbourhood, the Bovine Sex Club and Goodbye Honolulu member Emmett Webb. In "Blow Up," Miller evokes better times as she recalls a night out in her hometown.
Always playful, the Beaches have never been afraid to talk about their sexuality ("He's whisperin' my name into an empty space / Hoping that I'll hear him when he says / 'I wish we were alone'" on "Slow Mo"), being young and having fun ("I wanna dance until I'm kicked out, don't you?" on "Blow Up"), and succeeding in the face of haters ("Boys in the band, just like their dads, give us advice on punk rock / Said we'd do better if we quit writing about all the girl stuff" on "Let's Go").
The EP closes with the keyboard-driven ballad, "You Don't Owe Me Anything," that backs an intimate voicemail message from Miller as the guitars and drums ramp up for an epic instrumental finale, before fading out to a satisfying end.
Future Lovers exudes confident, unapologetic, femme fatale energy and cements the Beaches as one of Canada's greatest modern rock acts. After two great EPs, their yet-to-be-announced sophomore full-length album will hopefully live up to the high expectations they've set.
(Universal)"Bad Behaviour" starts with a riff that nods to the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go" before launching into a singalong-worthy anthem that's entirely the Beaches' signature sound, down to the call and response vocals between lead vocalist Jordan Miller and her bandmates.
True to the band's Toronto roots, the EP is filled with lyrics that reference recognizable local landmarks and figures including the Summerville pool, Mississauga, the King West neighbourhood, the Bovine Sex Club and Goodbye Honolulu member Emmett Webb. In "Blow Up," Miller evokes better times as she recalls a night out in her hometown.
Always playful, the Beaches have never been afraid to talk about their sexuality ("He's whisperin' my name into an empty space / Hoping that I'll hear him when he says / 'I wish we were alone'" on "Slow Mo"), being young and having fun ("I wanna dance until I'm kicked out, don't you?" on "Blow Up"), and succeeding in the face of haters ("Boys in the band, just like their dads, give us advice on punk rock / Said we'd do better if we quit writing about all the girl stuff" on "Let's Go").
The EP closes with the keyboard-driven ballad, "You Don't Owe Me Anything," that backs an intimate voicemail message from Miller as the guitars and drums ramp up for an epic instrumental finale, before fading out to a satisfying end.
Future Lovers exudes confident, unapologetic, femme fatale energy and cements the Beaches as one of Canada's greatest modern rock acts. After two great EPs, their yet-to-be-announced sophomore full-length album will hopefully live up to the high expectations they've set.