Freak Heat Waves albums

 Biggest Influences:

Swans, Magnetic Fields, Crash Test Dummies, The Cure

2020

Zap the Planet - 87%

The slow motion rock of this album tries to make a new genre of its own, and brilliantly succeeds. Lead singer Steve Lind just spprreeaaaddddsss every vowel out in his words, keeping your attention but also sort of making you crack up simultaneously. The best examples are "Dripping Visions" and its eerie lines that perfectly reflect the song title, "I'm Zapped" with its chill attitudes and imposing creepiness, or "In Your Realm" with its glued in sort of hypnotic charm.

    Some of the faster songs are appealing too, take "Busted" and its rapped fire synthetic lines. But mainly the album is pop a Xanax kind of relax party. Im not sure who the target demo graphic is with Freak Heat Wave, but I can imagine they could some day make an undisputed work of art. As it is, Zap the Planet itself is that rare thing- music that mixes several ideas together seamlessly, like on the Hawaiian closer "Nothing Last Forever" with its chant of:  "hey baaaaby" is one that will be remembered by those who here it. Lind is a hell of a singer, monotone as he can be, and his Caribbean psycho backing band paints a lovely picture. They may just be the second coming of The Crash Test Dummies, so thanks again Canada!!

Best Songs: Dripping Visions, Busted, In Your Realm