Splashh - Waiting A Lifetime

It would have been easy for Splashh to have made the same album again. It also would have been totally OK for them do so; debut ‘Comfort’ oozed the kind of sun-kissed, easy-on-the-ears sound that’s as instantly satisfying now as it was three-and-a-half years ago. But why take the easy route?

From the off, ‘Waiting A Lifetime’ feels like a natural progression, but as much as it overlaps its predecessor, it’s equally clear the band are heading in a fresh direction: the positively mind-bending drum loops and fuzz-soaked guitars that propel opener ‘Rings’ are an immediate sign that they’re stepping it up a gear. Sure, the move from home recording to bona fide studio – where they teamed up with famed knob-twiddler Nicolas Vernhes – has worked wonders, but Splashh have clearly evolved in any case.

In fact, this might not tell the whole story; they go all sorts of places on ‘Waiting A Lifetime’. And while labelling it ‘experimental’ might not quite be right, it does plenty to mix things up. ‘See Through’ proceeds sentimentally and almost lullaby-like, ‘Look Down to Turn Away’ induces an intense, six-minute synthy trance, and standout moment ‘Closer’ is surprisingly akin to Electronic’s ‘Getting Away With It’ going psychedelic – while the title track feels the most familiarly Splashh, only souped-up to the max.

The group’s Toto Vivian has described the experience of making the record as a liberating one – and that’s reflected in the end product. Bolder, brighter and better than ever, ‘Waiting A Lifetime’ is the sound of a band having fun being free.