KIWI JR. - COOLER RETURNS
With Cooler Returns, Kiwi Jr. show the potential of their deal with Sub Pop Records – the 13 piece carefully crafted collection parking them in poll position in the breakout lane.
When an album title perfectly sums up the body of work you know the artist is onto something good! Canadian cool-cats, Kiwi Jr., have done just that on their sophomore Sub Pop Records release, Cooler Returns.
Reappearing not too long after their exceptional 2020 debut effort Football Money which brought us the bubbly ‘Murder in the Cathedral’, Cooler Returns is doused in minty freshness and a bone-chilling coolness. Kiwi Jr. have been likened to Parquet Courts from the get-go however for Cooler Returns they drive distinct parallels to Car Seat Headrest’s Teens of Denial with their dreamy bedroom indie rock, offering quirky hooks, playful rhythms, and imaginative songwriting delivered by Jeremy Gaude’s speak-singing lightness. It’s a proven framework for success that hopefully underscores the bulk of their future bodies of work, and it certainly works for this baker’s dozen carton of tracks.
Swaying in with ‘Tyler’, the jingle of piano, the drum-dive into the first chorus and the enveloping harmonies allow Cooler Returns to hit the ground in a steady, yet energetic run. Sweeping straight into ‘Undecided Voters’, there’s a classic punk chorus that makes this track an instant anthem. Shutting your eyes you can hear the booming chorus cries of “voters” getting punched out of airwaves, filling the space between rafters of venues.
Flecks of country crawls through the album; a tickle of tambourine closes out ‘Undecided Votes’, a hint of harmonica hang around ‘Maid Marian’s Toast’, a banjo bandages ‘Nashville Wedding’ and ‘Only Here For A Haircut’ delicately blends all of the above with an added sprinkle of slide guitar. The genre-nods adds to the charm and enhances the quipped observations within the lyrics like “I take photos of your photos and they really move people” [‘Undecided Voters’] and “I got plans to build my house, a great big house out in the country, 16 terabytes of land with asterisk and ampersand.” [‘Highlights of 100’]. The favourite lyric extract comes from the chirpy ‘Omaha’, the sarcastic chime of “No trace evidence, you can dismiss the case, there’s no proof that Woodstock happened in the first place” sure to stick on your mind.
However, the appeal of Kiwi Jr. is in the childlike playfulness and pure fun that underscores each major chord, 4/4 beat and lively swirl of the light top layers. ‘Domino’, ‘Nashville Wedding’, ‘Highlights of 100’, ‘Norma Jean’s Jacket’, the title track ‘Cooler Returns’ and the breakout single ‘Waiting In Line’ are shining evidence of their contagious cheek.
With Cooler Returns, Kiwi Jr. show the potential of their deal with Sub Pop Records – the 13 piece carefully crafted collection parking them in poll position in the breakout lane.
Tammy Walters
★★★★☆