SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE STAYAWAKES – DOGS AND CATS/LIVING TOGETHER

The Stayawakes
Dogs and Cats/Living Together
Surefire Discs/badHORROR Recordings/ShoveItUpYourCult Records

Transporting listeners back to the beautiful indie-pop punk scene of the early 2000s, The Stayawakes latest release Dogs and Cats/Living Together delivers an upbeat album full of harmonious melodies and punchy riffs.

From start to finish, the sweet vocals of lead singer Andrew Ricks bring the poetic and heartfelt lyrics to life. The catchy stylings of Peter Foulk on guitar, Steven Hart on drums, Jimmy Cooper on bass, and David Pryce on synth compliment Ricks’ flawless delivery of the bands signature sound.

The entire album is endlessly-playable but the band’s true colours really shine in ‘Jake’ with its muted verses followed by the louder than life chorus. In ‘Little Explorer’, the band shows its playful side and it pays off greatly.

The true standout on the album is the ethereal ‘High School Weirdness’. The song really pulls on the nostalgic memory and innocence of what it’s like to be young and full of hope and creates something that’s unexpected yet brilliantly inspired.

The Stayawakes manage to create an album that pulls listeners in from the very first note and keeps them intrigued all the way through. All ten tracks of Dogs and Cats/Living Together offer something unique yet on theme. It’s a cleverly composed album worthy of repeated play.

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