by David Wilikofsky
For aficionados of sparkling indie pop, San Francisco should be the absolute center of your musical universe. I’ve been beating this drum frequently as of late, and for good reason: 2021 has provided a bumper crop of masterful albums in this vein from the Bay Area. From the shambolic tunes of April Magazine to the fuzzed out ones of Flowertown, from the lush power pop of The Telephone Numbers to the transcendently dreamy songs of The Reds, Pinks & Purples, the scene has been consistently killing it this year. The Umbrellas may have formed only two years ago, but its members have been involved with the scene for much longer through other bands and jobs at local venues and record stores. With their self titled debut album, they keep the Bay Area’s hot streak going with yet another slab of pitch perfect indie pop.
To be honest, what The Umbrellas do isn’t groundbreaking; there’s a long line of bands that have trod similar twee and jangle pop territory, from Heavenly (and many other Sarah Records mainstays) to Beat Happening to fellow Slumberland signees. The subject matter is also in line with what you’d expect given these influences: largely bittersweet lyrics about love and heartbreak. It’s the kind of revivalism that typically doesn’t appeal to me, yet I’ve found myself spinning this album over and over. The album’s appeal comes down to the craftsmanship of the band; each chord, each note, each harmony, each plaintive sigh feels perfectly placed. The jangling guitar line of “Near You” feels like butterflies in the stomach of the narrator as they confess their love for the object of their affection. The crossed wires described in “Never Available” are given emotional heft by a culminating duet between the two parties. Even the track sequencing feels deeply considered, sprinkling in a stripped down song (“It’s True”) or a shimmeringly melancholic one (“A.M.”) at just the right moment to cleanse the palette. It’s an album that considers every tiny detail and uses each one to its advantage.
If you’re a fan of this type of music, The Umbrellas is the ultimate sonic comfort food; it will sound instantly familiar and nostalgic, twelve pitch perfect tunes that’ll trigger fond memories. But if you’re unfamiliar, it’s an entryway into an entire sonic universe. The twinkling chimes of “Autumn” will eventually lead you to “Indian Summer“, which is admittedly more ramshackle and skeletal but pops into my mind on each playthrough. The sugar rush of “Lonely” might bring you to the sardonic wit of Heavenly or the more dissonant and textured songs of Rocketship. For those in the latter category, I envy you; you’re in for a wild ride.