It’s Always Sunny Above the Clouds is a fitting name for The Covasette’s debut EP. The alternative/indie groups latest release captures the sound and essence of summertime.
Calling upon the (now) retro stylings of the ’00s pop-rock, the EP is sentimental, exciting, and nostalgic. The only thing it takes seriously is not taking anything seriously. A profession of love to adventurous days, falling in love, and making mistakes we’re too busy having fun to care about. Layering hummable melodies over even more hummable guitar riffs, each song is a pleasant dive into The Covasette’s pool of mixed genres.
Do you wanna go outside, too?
I’d like to know, I’d like to know
and I would like to get to know you
-“Twit Twoo”
“Twit Twoo” takes me right back to warm days in the ’00s, a far simpler time we all took for granted. With skillful guitar riffs supporting a simple and sweet melody, the song freshens sup the season’s landscape of new releases with something classically enjoyable. Flirty and playful, it twists and turns from bouncy pop sing-a-longs to loud, visceral soundscapes.
That playfulness carries over to “You and I,” a romantic, upbeat tune that’s earnest and eager. The track encapsulates the bubbles and fizzies of falling in love and wearing your heart on your sleeve. The doo-woppy vocals add a certain join to song. Falling for someone is intense and mind-blurring, but it’s nice, too.
We can take it easy while you and I
get it all together on the outside
-“You and I”
The Manchester-bred four-piece put together another breezy, beachy foray into pop-rock on “Let’s Go,” arguably the EP’s most bubbly and excited song. Like an ode to youth and energy, the songs keep on going. It boasts a sing-able melody fit for an outdoor concert with your closest friends. “Let’s Go” has so many spunky melodic lines and easy-breezy rhymes you won’t realize you’ve been humming along the entire time. Punctuation the song nicely is an energy-reviving guitar solo, perfect for head-banging.
The Covasettes use their four-part set up to their utmost advantage giving each part space to be, something to contribute. The simple band gives the EP its organic feel. No synths added for the hell of it. Each layer sounds necessary, grounded.
“Fine Lines,” a dedication to the careless–and heartfelt stupidity–of being young. It’s fun, and it’s probably the best song on the EP. The authentic tribute to mistakes we’re destined to make also contains the most hypnotizing melody of the EP and an intro that gets you hooked from the get-go.
We’re caught in the middle and we just don’t mind
Cuz her heads messed up from going out last night
We know we’re in trouble
-“Fine Lines”
Fun is a common theme across all of the songs. It’s a fun EP! Style doesn’t vary too greatly across the four songs, and it could benefit from a funky shake-up. The flavorful album misses a sprinkle of something unexpected. But The Covasettes created a story that’s easy to enjoy.
“It’s Always Sunny Above the Clouds” is an emotional collection with all the momentum of the final days of summer–a feeling of both longing and letting go.
