Fairweather Friend＜限定盤/Colored Vinyl＞

San Francisco group the Umbrellas follow a blueprint mapped out by the greats of obscure, lovelorn indie pop, continuing the introverted jangle of Sarah Records, the fuzzy excitement of K Records-style melodic punks like Tiger Trap, and the romantic pop of elder indie greats like Orange Juice and Felt. The band have steadily grown, moving from drum-machine-backed early tracks to a more sonically detailed 2021 self-titled full-length, and they expand their production and arrangement even further on sophomore set Fairweather Friend. Opening track "Three Cheers" embodies much of the groups progress, with live drums even pushier and more frantic than the organic playing on their debut, undercurrents of synthesizer and hand percussion hiding beneath layers of chiming guitars, and involved vocal arrangements posing as simple singsong but actually going much deeper into harmony and atmosphere. "Toe the Line" blasts by in a punky rush, delivering its melodic fare soaked in feedback and distortion but breaking down for a surfy guitar solo. While Fairweather Friend is louder, faster, and darker than the Umbrellas earlier material, the album also goes to new places in its less aggressive moments. "Say What You Mean" is a triumphant, marching midtempoed song that focuses on its string arrangements, and the mellow acoustic tune "Blue" ventures into beachy chamber pop. The main directive of the album is paisley jangle, as with standout tracks like the enthusiastically poppy "Gone" or the fiendishly catchy "Goodbye," but the Umbrellas stretch their sound in all directions as Fairweather Friend plays out, calling on various corners of indie pop history yet translating it all into their own songwriting language. ~ Fred Thomas