Poolside

Tom's Review

Sometimes one just has to thank Del LeFevre for his persistence. Del initially told me about Poolside's new album Pacific Standard Time and I ignored him because of the brief description I read: pool side dance music. Not my thang, bro. What, are we at Hard Rock's Rehab amongst all the D-bags with shaved chests and barbwire tattoos and loose women with Daddy issues and vagina sores? Dude, I'm fucking 32, I have two kids and a chest I haven't groomed in 10 years. I even named one of my nipple hairs Rapunzel. BUT Del told me a second time; so I humored him.

I had an hour to kill while I drove into Chicago last weekend for a concert. I popped this shit on to my USB drive and I was fucking blown away; it was a pre-party in the form of chill-out dance music. Yes, the phrase chill-out dance music is somewhat of an oxymoron, but it somehow simultaneously calmed me and pumped me up for my night out. Pacific Standard Time gives you the incredible and infectious urge to bop back and forth with it's hypnotic beats and sexy hooks. Poolside doubles up on the pleasure; the shit gives my erection an erection. The production has an awesome 70's feel to it with just enough lo-fi that includes slight hisses and pops to capture that vinyl listening illusion. By track 10 I was in the zone. I felt like I should have been at a swingers pool party in the 70s high quaaludes with a martini in my hand. I looked at my speedometer and I was approaching 90mph and completely missed my speed warning alert. Fuck, this album is good.

I made it to my destination without being pulled over, and what was an hour drive felt like it took 15 minutes. The entire album blurs together and should be listened to from beginning to end. However, there is one stand out track that needs to be singled out: the cover of Neil Young's Harvest Moon. Holy sun-burned ass cheeks; this track definitely is making the year top ten songs list. The cover has a loose groove to it and punctuates the beat with hand-claps. I could exclusively listen to this song on repeat for an entire month. Regardless of where you listen to Pacific Standard Time or how old and out of touch you may be with this musical genre, Poolside side transcends age and hipness with this tits-tastic album. Thanks Delsy.

Joel's Review

Del sent me Poolside. Del is the fucking man for sending me Poolside.

Not only does this band have perhaps the best band name ever, they're psychologically crafting the exact sounds a band with the name Poolside should create. This shit is sunny, cool and some of the best groove and stare at your reflection in your hiball glass type shit I've ever heard.

My favorite song so far is Take Me Home, which is dancey without being overtly thrustworthy, but it's that head nodding shit you pigeonhole into a playlist titled with only EXACTLY where you'd want to listen to the shit. For me, in addition to listening to Poolside poolside, I've found this album completely fucking perfect as an assist to a long drive home at a steady speed with the fucking windows down.

The bass paired with the drums sets the tone, but the electronic elements and the beachy vocals make it the perfect fucking escape from something you didn't know you needed escaping from.

Del's Review

I am an annoying Fuck. I know this about myself and I have come to terms with it. It's easy to accept when my persistence comes from a positive place. I will bury people with music recommendations and suggestions. My SYFFAL brethren have gotten to the point where a Del recommendation is an invitation to a sonic shunning for whoever's album I'm touting. I had to mention this because after I shared Poolside's frothy debut LP, Pacific Standard Time I expected radio silence from the SYFFAL core. Imagine my surprise then when Joelsy and Tom were head over heels for the album and both were calling dips (ed note: I meant dibs..but dips kind of works here) on who got to squeeze out the glowing and nutty words turds. I don't know I was surprised. An album this good can overcome all odds.

Pacific Standard Time is the tits. I was ensnared right from the get go. You will be too. It is, dare I go all hyperbolic, a life changer. It will change your brain. What i mean is I don't smoke weed so this album is medicinal for me. You see LA is an odd place to live at times in the summer. Most days are overcast and you spend some truly horrible hours in your car getting to places that people told you were only twenty minutes away. Everything is always allegedly 20 minutes away but it never fucking is. Rage sets in. Worry not Angelenos and future LA freeway ride or die chicks, Poolside's Pacific Standard Time rights the ship and makes the best days of your life feel just twenty minutes away again. Roll the windows down, crank "Slow Down" and watch as the marine layer burns off and the 405 opens up and the woozy vibe that these chill dudes bathe you in transports you straight to the beach. Not some wack ass Kokomo beach where people rock puka shell necklaces, drink canned daiquiris. No this is a beach of your dreams: Loose women. looser open container laws, and pills for all. You can't help but slow down and relax.

This disc full of blissed out daytime disco is the perfect complement to your summer's day. This is a nice change of pace album, best described by the artists themselves:

"We really wanted to just do something fun to play at pool parties... It's almost like a backlash against dance music in a way. Like the antidote to the heavy, hard dance music that dominates clubs more and more."

Refreshing. Hey bass heads, stop waiting for the drop and go cannonball into the pool now that you have your chilled out day party summer soundtrack. Let it wash all over you. It feels so good, man