Tearjerker - Stay Wild (2015)

It may float through your speakers with such ease that before you know it, you’ve listened to the entire album already, but once it sticks, you won’t be able to stop listening to Tearjerker’s new album, Stay Wild. These ten songs are soothing, relaxing and incredibly easy to listen to, but underneath floating melodies and airy vocals are some incredibly catchy songs that you’ll want to listen to again and again.

Opening up Stay Wild is the album’s title track, which is also one of the strongest of the ten songs, hooking you with soft guitars and a fast-paced but still mellow beat that won’t let go. “Stay Wild” is the perfect song to bring in the album, and is great for lazy, rainy days. The vocals are the perfect mix of soothing and catchy. The song is very soft and airy, but not boring by any means, and by the time “Stay Wild” fades into “Phone,” it’s apparent that Tearjerker have created something truly beautiful with this release.

The subtle horn section in “Phone” make the song sound much bigger and fuller, despite its rather laid back mood. Alongside the horns, it’s easy to get lost in the airy and comforting mood of the song - it’s something I wouldn’t mind listening to while lying in bed all day. “The Gardener” is echoey and almost haunting, but very beautiful despite that. The guitar work on this song is gorgeous and the vocals, much like the previous tracks on the album, are soothing.

One of the strongest songs on the album, however, is definitely “Parking Lot.” Easily one of the most memorable songs on the album, it’s hard not to sing along with the echoey and surprisingly comforting, “Waiting for the fucking world to end,” in the chorus. The strongest part about “Parking Lot” is its ability to make you feel something, to transport you to a different place entirely. While Stay Wild as a whole is very calming and relaxing, “Parking Lot” absolutely does the best job at taking the listener somewhere else. Another song that is great at this is “Baseball,” which is one of the bigger and brighter songs on the album.

The only real downside on Stay Wild comes in the album’s mellow tones and laid-back, soothing vocals. While this is absolutely a strength as well, it’s easy to tell that the casual listener of Stay Wild may not love it. This is an album that will not stick or stand out unless you devote your full attention to it, but if you do, you’re in for a real treat. Stay Wild is absolutely worthy of your full attention, as there are little things on every track that make each moment special. You may have to pay extra attention to catch them all, but that’s what a good album should do - it shouldn’t become boring background music, it should demand your full attention in order to enjoy it properly. If you simply close your eyes and really listen to Stay Wild, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.