Bahamas

One Liner: Sweet folky rock that brings Jack Johnson to mind.

Wikipedia Genre: Folk
Home:  Toronto

Poster Position: 14
Day: Sunday at 3:00
Both Weekends.

Thoughts:  I'd say it is pretty rare for me to change my opinion on these bands.  For the most part, the first song I hear, their current most popular track on Spotify, is going to color my opinion on the entire experience.  A few change my mind over time, but for the most part their top track locks them in.  Not this one, at all.  His currently most popular track, "All the Time," which has just over 40 million streams, is full on annoying - the farting tone of the music, the falsetto meandering vocals, the brightly shining "haaa!!aaaaah!!" tossed in here and there.  No thanks.

It just sounds like this band is going to be all twee tunes trying really hard to be cute, which will just come off as terrible.  Not a fan.

BUT.  Then you get to the rest of the music.  "Way With Words" is more like a chilled John Mayer track.  "Whole Wide World" has kind of a Jack Johnson vibe that is very cool.  He does a great cover of the Human League song "Don't You Want Me," with fellow ACL band The Weather Station, that was on the Walter Mitty soundtrack.  And his most listened-to track, with 52.3 million streams, is another significantly better-sounding quietly rocking shuffle.  This is "Lost in the Light."

By the way, why does YouTube think I need blood thinner commercials EVERY TIME I WATCH A VIDEO?  I am so tired of hearing that old dude tell me that when his airplane landed, his leg just didn't look right.  SHUT UP, Zarelto!  Unless y'all know something I don't know and I'm just about to keel over from a pulmonary embolism.  Oh crap!  I'm gonna die listening to the Bahamas!  Sorry, but dig the track.  Goes almost hymn-like for portions, and even though it just kind of shuffles along, I feel it.

So, although I really didn't like that first tune, most of the rest of his stuff is good.  "Your Sweet Touch," from 2012's Barchords is another standout.  His 2018 album Earthtones is very good.  It includes "Way With Words," "No Wrong," and several other nice tracks.  The more I listen, the more I hear a nice Jack Johnson vibe. 2014's Bahamas is Afie (whatever that means, ah, it means that is his name.  Ha!  The guy's name is Afie Jurvanen), which is where the bad song lives, isn't as good as the new one but has some good tunes.  I'm also almost certain that I have heard some of these songs on the radio - like "Whole Wide World," his last song on his first album.

Ah.  This is a cover song, and Cage the Elephant was the most recent other band to cover it, so I'm sure that is where I have heard this thing.  But cool version, sweet island vibes, brah.  I'd go watch this guy.  Likely a pretty sleepy show, but could be nice.