‘Everywhere But Here’ is a flowery and rosy piece of dream pop from Charlotte based indie rock group Whistler. Their music is innately glowing, radiating the vibrancy and euphoria of indie outfits of the 00s. That spacey energy and glamorous soundscape that simultaneously sounds restrained yet overwhelming makes Whistler all that much more endearing. Above all, they have a homely aesthetic and air to their work which makes them so much more intriguing and appealing to me, especially so when I’m craving sounds that are bound to shower me with warmth and sunlight.
The combination of Will Royson’s mellow and deeply evocative vocal performance alongside the shimmering guitar work of Paul Brazell is a match to remember. Their music is loaded with feeling from back to front. Cadillac jumps the album into first gear with a jolt of warmth. On Dark Thoughts, the vibe takes a more mellow and gloomier turn but its par for the course for the mood to alter a bit here and there. ‘Questions’ sees Royson at his most emotive through a vocal performance that simply exudes buckets of emotion and love. Brazell’s guitar on this piece acts as a secondary vocal accent altogether, bringing a whole new style. The slower jam that is ‘Jazz Thot’ has a much more restrained and romantic energy to it. It’s minimal arrangement brings out the best in both artists. ‘Oh Adam’, the record’s closer, is the most hazy and dreamy piece on the entire album.
A remarkably well rounded indie rock record that’s cohesive from back to front, but succeeds spectacularly in its ability to draw out feelings from the listener. It wouldn’t be out of place as the soundtrack of an indie coming of age film. Feel the warmth around you.