Bahamas

There is a fine line between relaxing and boring. Maybe this is the reason reggae came along with its funky offbeats... to keep people awake while they relaxed. And while Bahamas is not by any means reggae, it has that vibe:

Bahamas is reading a book by yourself lounging next to a body of water.

Bahamas is catching yourself in that moment when you realize that you are feeling no stress.

Bahamas is unashamedly drinking a drink that includes a paper umbrella.

Bahamas is a soul massage with copious amounts of herbal scented lube.

Bahamas is diving into a crisp pool, that is so still, it could double as a mirror.

If you are new to Bahamas, let me catch you up. Bahamas is Afie Jurvanen...hence the name of his third LP. His second album, Barchords came out a couple of years ago and he initially hooked me with the song 'Lost In The Light'. This track in particular, IMO, was a couple of notches above some other very good tracks on that album.

I will always hold Afie up to that 'Lost In The Light' standard...and it's the reason why I love his new album. He took my favorite characteristics of that song and sprinkled them over his new songs. Fluttery, up-lifting vocals. Cool little guitar riffs. A touch of retroness. And the subtle additions of those gospel-esque harmonies. And while Barchords had a decent amount of that... Bahamas is Afie has a lot of that.

I read that Afie recorded Barchords in a week, but he took his time with this new album. If that is true, then I'm guessing he took that time to manufacture more of dem sprinkles I mentioned above. The result is perf... all the way up to the last song, 'All I've Ever Known,' which I wish would last forever. Ohhhh man that dreamy guitar solo in the final minutes plucks my taint strings.

I want to bathe in this fucking album and have it feed me plump grapes directly from the branch. I'll just put it on repeat and have it exfoliate the toxins from the crevices of my body that are too deep to reach with a warsh cloth. Yes, warsh.

Bahamas Is Afie comes out on 8/19. Let's exfoliatez together.