With the clocks now firmly forward and the longer days bringing with them a smattering of sunshine, the wait for the summer is almost over. With ‘Pilot’, Playlounge may have crafted its soundtrack.
Drenched in distortion, opener ‘I Am A Lion’ lays all cards on the table, a thunderous kick-start that instantly dispels any concern that the ferocity of the duo’s live show may get lost on record. While the walls of fuzz at times obscure drummer/vocalist Saam Watkins’ lyricism a little too heavily, those who scratch the surface will find it remains as potently personal as ever, as he accounts the trials of an emotional twenty-something Brit with aplomb – “say you’ll save me, say anything” is destined to be etched on someone’s skin before long.
Lead single and highlight ‘Waves and Waves and Waves’ is a faultless marker of the musical euphoria the band thrive upon, a constant swelling of fired-up shoegaze fit for a day at the beach – apt, given its status as a love-letter to Bournemouth-bound holidays. This sense of sunny day adventuring is key to ‘Pilot’’s character, each song a driving, enraptured ode to bank holidays and barbecues. As the hook in ‘Fan Fiction’ so perfectly explains, “it feels like… summer”.
In ‘Pilot’, Playlounge have mustered a debut that perfectly encapsulates everything their four years on the circuit have been working towards. With layers of fuzz that sit thick like sweat on every track, this is ostensibly a pool party soundtrack, but digging a little deeper unveils a resolutely emotional core. The perfect platform for a promising future, Playlounge are finally ready to take on the big hitters of the UK scene.
TOM CONNICK