Indie rock seemed to be reaching its twilight years in the early 2010s. The Strokes had been quiet, The Shins were past their prime, and the garage rock of The White Stripes and Co. felt like a distant memory. Journalists, Youtubers, and Reddit users alike began asking one question: is Indie rock dying? In 2019, four musicians from Salt Lake City proved the genre is alive and well with “When We Were Friends.”

From the heartfelt verses of “Watch Your Mouth” to the endearing banter that opens “Pool House,” “When We Were Friends” was Indie rock boiled down to its core essence: accessible yet artistic music untarnished by commercialism. Without frills or fluff, The Backseat Lovers wore their hearts on their flannel and corduroy sleeves and invited listeners to share in a slice of humanity

While most music fans would be perfectly content with a repeat performance from the Backseat Lovers, the band had far greater aspirations for their sophomore release. Where “When We Were Friends” was a collection of standalone songs, “Waiting to Spill” is a full-fledged concept album.

“We were pretty much obsessed with the idea of making something that really flowed together […] creating a cohesion that spanned the whole record” said mustachioed frontman Joshua Harmon.

And cohesive this project is. In a word, “Waiting to Spill” is about escape– escape from the messy realities of adulthood into the sanctuary of childhood and innocence, represented poignantly by the shelter of the treehouse on the album’s cover. With disciplined artistic direction, the Backseat Lovers yoke together each song under this laser-focused thematic vision.

“Silhouette” opens the record by taking the scenic route. From the opening bars of lilting acoustic guitar chords, instrumental tracks weave in and out to create a scant yet immensely colorful soundscape. After about a minute and a half, Harmon’s vocals ease into the mix, softly urging the listener to run “while you are still a silhouette of a man.” The track ends with a single note blared from a car speeding down the street, cleverly utilizing the pitch-warping doppler effect to transition into the key of the next song. Already, the band’s greatly expanded timbral palette is on full display, and this kaleidoscope of tonal flavors continues into “Close Your Eyes.” This second song features a bit of the previous album’s pop-like verve, but the track is careful not to compromise this album’s delicately vulnerable mood. Guitarist Jonas Swanson joins Harmon in singing the song’s heartbreaking climax: “I have to get older/I’d hate to get any older.” At that moment, the record’s core themes of holding onto youth come into focus in a moment of catharsis.

Although the Backseat Lovers are now signed to Capitol Records, “Waiting to Spill” doesn’t lose any of the down-to-earth indie charm of its predecessor. With its free flowing experimentalism and unfettered emotion, this record reaffirms The Backseat Lovers’ mission of catapulting indie and alternative rock into a new era.

Featured image from Bandcamp, The Backseat Lovers