Wyatt Blair
Inspirational Strawberries
Lolipop Records
Los Angeles-based Wyatt Blairβs second release of 2018 is an ear-pleasing, up-tempo, poppy offering of mostly β60s-inspired delights. Blairβs Inspirational Strawberries is ultimately a refreshing mix of ten mouth-watering morsels weighing in on love lost, love found, escape, dreaming, hope and, of course, inspiration. The album is immediately inviting with a reflective look at a distant relationship with βItβs Yesterdayβ. The fifth song, βThe Waiting Roomβ, is an instrumental β70s interlude which emulates the emotions of a doctorβs office or hospital waiting room. In a good way, indeed. The last track, βWonβt Back Downβ, is a fitting conclusion, with defiant but dreamy acoustic instrumentation and drumming. It epitomizes true hope as the artist continues his journey, not unlike the Tom Petty song of the same title.
Often it seems that shorter, more to-the-point albums which are devoid of filler and empty space illustrate the βless is moreβ adage. This is definitely the case with Inspirational Strawberries, clocking in at an efficient thirty-one minutes. The album is reminiscent of β50s and β60s classics with hints of β90s brit-pop. While the album heavily emulates artists such as The Kinks, The Beach Boys, and even Fleet Foxes, Blair still manages to develop Inspirational Strawberriesβ own identity.
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SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: WYATT BLAIR – INSPIRATIONAL STRAWBERRIES
John Graham