{"id":5734,"date":"2019-10-13T14:50:29","date_gmt":"2019-10-13T19:50:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/?p=5734"},"modified":"2019-12-17T19:56:34","modified_gmt":"2019-12-18T00:56:34","slug":"album-review-waterparks-fandom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.bu.edu\/wtbu\/2019\/10\/13\/album-review-waterparks-fandom\/","title":{"rendered":"ALBUM REVIEW: Waterparks – Fandom"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jarrad Levy<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

On their latest album, <\/span>Fandom<\/span><\/i>, Waterparks exceeds the low expectations set for them and tear down the walls of pop-punk, establishing themselves as something entirely unique in the scene.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the last few years, Waterparks has become a bit of a joke in the alternative scene. The band released the very controversial <\/span>Entertainment <\/span><\/i>in early 2018 and it seemed like lead singer Awsten Knight and co. were on track to become more of a boyband than a pop-punk band. The band even dubbed themselves \u201cGod\u2019s Favorite Boy Band.\u201d It all comes across as a bit cringe-y, especially when paired with the band\u2019s obnoxious social media presence and aggravating audience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, at the end of the day, Waterparks is a band. And the most important part of any band is not their appearance or behavior or audience: it\u2019s their music. And <\/span>Fandom<\/span><\/i> is an addictive album that makes me want to come back again and again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, the album is easily digestible, especially when the listener is hooked in so immediately with the catchy intro, \u201cCherry Red\u201d that transitions into \u201cWatch What Happens Next.\u201d It is in the latter song where Waterparks begins to genre-bend in a way that is unique and exciting. Not only does Knight discuss the toxicity of stan culture and his frustration with not have broken through the \u201cglass ceiling\u201d of the music industry yet, he blends pop, punk, and rap into one cohesive package. The chaotic nature of the song really demonstrates that Knight and co. have crafted this project with something to prove.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDream Boy,\u201d \u201cEasy to Hate,\u201d and \u201cTelephone\u201d are all very pop-centric tracks, but the band really commits to the pop sound that many have admonished them for. Unlike other bands that have \u201cgone pop,\u201d Waterparks doesn\u2019t pretend to still be entirely pop-punk and that self-awareness makes these tracks much more enjoyable due to the feeling that the band is not \u201ctrying too hard to stay cool.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the album is absolutely a mish-mash of genres and leans most heavily towards pop, there is a large portion of this album that is more of a downer. \u201cHigh Definition,\u201d \u201cNever Bloom Again,\u201d \u201c[Reboot],\u201d and \u201cWorst\u201d are all much slower tempo tracks that really leave me asking Awsten Knight (along with many other songs on the album), \u201cwho hurt you?\u201d Much of the album focuses on a failed relationship in Knight\u2019s life and throughout the listener really experiences the variety of emotions associated with a bad breakup, especially anger and depression. It\u2019s a real credit to Knight for being able to emote so well with his lyrics when many of the songs are lyrically repetitive. While not as slow or sardonic as the discussed songs, \u201cI Felt Younger When We Met\u201d is a perfect amalgamation of the emotions felt during a breakup, starting sad and growing angrier and angrier. Not only that but it features lyrics that are not only relatable but well written.<\/span><\/p>\n

The real highlights of the album to me are the \u201cso fun that they make you get up and dance\u201d songs. Along with the aforementioned \u201cWatch What Happens Next,\u201d these songs include \u201cTurbulent\u201d and my favorite on the album, \u201cWar Crimes,\u201d which starts as a pop song and slowly transitions into a en electro-punk banger. These songs are a blast and I can absolutely see a whole room of people going wild to these songs at a live show while screaming the choruses. Unlike many of the slower songs on the album, these songs all reflect Knight\u2019s frustration that goes hand-in-hand with being a minor celebrity. While he clearly resents the fact that Waterparks hasn\u2019t \u201cmade it\u201d yet, he is also frustrated with fans prodding him for birthday shout-outs on social media and being told what type of music he is supposed to make.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, <\/span>Fandom<\/span><\/i> can be broken into two parts: it\u2019s one half a breakup album, with extremely emotive lyrics and more depressing sounds and one half a middle finger to just about everyone, demonstrating a clear irritation that Knight has for the music industry and his more toxic fans. While it can at times be jarring for these songs to be placed seemingly at random on the track list, they are almost all enjoyable in isolation, and with the album being so short, I have no problem listening again and again. While <\/span>Fandom<\/span><\/i> is not the best album of the year or even in the band\u2019s discography, it is loopable, exciting, and fun. Real highlights of the project include \u201cWatch What Happens Next,\u201d Never Bloom Again,\u201d and \u201cWar Crimes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n