Things Waterparks did: That.
Waterpark’s sophomore album Entertainment was featured on Most Anticipated Albums of 2018 lists across various forms of media. The Houston trio released the first couple of singles from the album, “Blonde” and “Lucky People” – both of which were total polar opposites with one being a fast-paced, electric bop and the other being an acoustic Christmas love song – and it only made fans want more. They continued to tease us by releasing “Not Warriors”, one of the heavier tracks on the album, a few days before the album was scheduled to drop just to continue playing games with our hearts. The tracks, along with the band’s cryptic tweets, only left its audience wanting more. On January 26th the band finally delivered when Entertainment was released and we could listen to their newest creation for the first time and man, did it deliver.
With their debut album Double Dare making waves in music world, landing at number 33 on the Billboard charts and making Apple’s Top Rock Albums of 2016 in the U.K. it’s safe to say that their latest release had a lot to live up to. One thing’s for sure, you can’t go into this album expecting it to sound anything like its predecessor because they’re nothing alike. Entertainment is like Reese’s Cup with their witty lyrics paired with infectious beats, it’s two great tastes that taste great together.
With each song being more different than the last, Waterparks truly revealed how versatile and innovative they can be. Entertainment is a sophomore album in every sense of the word because not only does it portray how they’ve grown as artists, it showcased how their sound has matured and evolved. With new albums comes new challenges and bands are faced with the decision to release an album that’s reminiscent of the one before, or to completely reinvent themselves and release an album that they’re truly proud of. Vocalist, Awsten Knight asked fans on Twitter to sit down and really listen to the album and to not play with their phones for a while and personally – it’s the best way to really appreciate the songs for how good they truly are.
The album kicks off with "11:11" where Awsten declares that he’s a “walking love song”. With, the guitars blaring in the back paired with their killer vocals, it’s the perfect track to set the tone and prepare you for what’s to come. Awsten took to Twitter and announced,
...and you know what? He wasn’t wrong because "Peach (Lobotomy)" slaps. From the moment the whistling starts, you can’t help but start bopping to the beat. It’s incredibly catchy, in true Waterparks fashion.
Nothing will have you more shook than the first few seconds of "TANTRUM". When you first hear “Fuck these fuckboy bands that can't think for themselves, let’s put away our black clothes and start cutting up our voices. That's what's cool now, right?” and then the song kicks in – it earns its place as place as one of the standout tracks on Entertainment.
There’s also the softer tracks on the album to soothe things over, like “We Need to Talk” and “Crybaby” that rely more on electronic-fueled sounds. This album has something for everyone to enjoy, which is the most beautiful thing about this album.
Waterparks proved to be not just another average pop punk band in a time where there’s literally so many (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). Fans of Double Dare will definitely enjoy Entertainment. From the moment the first track hits, you’ll be playing the rest of the album on repeat for the rest of the day.
You can purchase the album here.
