If
Warm in the Wake evoke anything, it's the heyday of the late-'80s college rock/Dixie underground, when numerous groups from the American Southeast turned to bright soundcraft, pretty harmonies, and guitar jangle. All of which is not to say that the band sounds dated. Quite the contrary:
Warm in the Wake's delightful, folky space pop is moving in its own whimsically beautiful way. One can also detect traces of clever pop predecessors such as
XTC,
Robyn Hitchcock, and
Green Pajamas here. There's both a pop levity and a complexity that define the Georgia band's music on
American Prehistoric. The title track is bounding electric pop, while "She'd Never Seen" has a more earnest drive and a sweet chorus hook that you could hang a hat on. "Reservoir" is heavy on the guitar jangle and chime and comes at the listener at odd angles, providing some ominous pop-psychedelia undertow to the proceedings. All in all, this is a clever, infectious, and melodious romp from a band that has a lovely but eccentric way with indie guitar pop. ~ Erik Hage