One of my favorite things about doing a music blog is getting totally blown away by new bands. And Log Flume has absolutely blown me away. That's a really cool band name, too. I'm not a rollercoaster guy at all, but I'm all about log flumes! Log Flume hails from Chester County, Pennsylvania (just two counties over from where I sit at this very moment) and has become part of a thriving Philadelphia power pop scene alongside the likes of 2nd Grade, The Blackburns, and The Tisburys. The first thing I thought when I heard Log Flume's debut album Splash Hit! was, "I bet Don Valentine will love this!" And sure enough, the album got a rave review from I Don't Hear a Single. My favorite quote from that review is "This may be the Power Pop album of the year," and I can't say I disagree.
Stylistically, Log Flume lives at the intersection of power pop and '90s indie/alternative rock with some punk spirit and '80s synths thrown in for good measure. They put all those influences together in a way that's highly original and simply delightful to the ears. As songwriters, they are remarkably efficient. The longest track on Splash Hit! clocks in at 2:49, and half the songs don't even reach the two-minute mark. Yet none of these tunes come off as underdeveloped or incomplete. They just don't waste a lot of time getting to the catchy parts! You can go all the way down the line with this album and hit a great song wherever you land. Of course the melodies, hooks, and harmonies are irresistible, but I also love the band's spirit. These are playful, charming pop songs that are super creative yet timeless in their appeal. I'm picking up on some influences here and there (Weezer, Teenage Fanclub), but all in all, Log Flume sounds like a band that has found its own identity. That's quite impressive for a band that had only been together for one year at the time of this album's recording. I love that we have this whole new generation of bands that identify as power pop yet aren't afraid to embrace different and more modern influences. If you want to hear some great power pop that doesn't sound like every other power pop band in the world, give Log Flume a listen. Splash Hit! is a wonderful debut and a lock to make my year-end album of the year list.
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