Every few years, a band comes along who go right up to the fountain drink dispenser at the pop music gas station and make a suicide out of every soda available. Houstons Waterparks are just that sort of every-flavor-in-one kind of band on their fourth album, 2021s likeably indulgent Greatest Hits. While the title is an example of the groups cheeky sense of humor, it speaks to their confidence in crafting infectious songs that sound like the unexpected offspring of Blurs Song 2 and Owl Citys Fireflies. Lead singer Awsten Knight sings with the kind of nasally resonant Ben Gibbard croon that emo bands have favored since the early 2000s, and one that hes just as likely to filter through Auto-Tune. Working with producer Zakk Cervini, Knight (along with his bandmates, guitarist Geoff Wigington and drummer Otto Wood), frames himself in an ear-popping kaleidoscope of sounds, from ersatz grunge guitars and shimmering synths to frenetic electronic- and hip-hop-influenced beats. He does so with a candid sense of humor, often digging into his fears about being accepted and liked. On Youd Be Paranoid Too (If Everyone Was Out to Get You) he sings, People treat me like Im an asshole/But I dont text when I drive, though/I cant say that theyre all wrong, no/Cause I steal your straws on the down-low (Im sorry). He also got some Fruit by the Foot to share with you while watching a scary movie on the hard-luck slow jam Fruit Roll Ups. All of this would merely be bubblegum pop fun if not for the bands knack for writing the kind of Hypercolor, stadium-sized singalong anthems that make up much of Greatest Hits. ~ Matt Collar

Rovi