Waifu Shrine – Pop
Very few artists can utilise their lo-fi grounds and amateurishtic aesthetic to enhance their vision; Waifu Shrine are one of those few. While it may be inconsistently mixed, Pop is thoroughly rich and thoughtfully textured. Incorporating an eccentric array of instrumentals, from keys to violins, harmonicas and saxophones, noise-rock and synth pop; the album extremely colourful. With a bit of polish, Pop may have been one of the best releases of the year, though it’s held back by its restrictive framework.
Though Pop’s main constraint is not its pop conventions, it’s Chase’s inability to flesh out his compositions and expand upon his sounds; many ideas are sadly ended abruptly or faded out unexpectedly. This is easily observed on the short tracks, such as Place to Be and That Time of Year. Thankfully, there’s enough emotion on display even during the brief arrangements, such as Nowhere Boy and Shoegaze. Much like Guided by Voices, Waifu Shrine displays a stunning array of fragmented melodies that sound authentic, yet incomplete. Furthermore, much like the previously mentioned band, the highs are high; Springtime Arrived Right on Time and Fiddle Tune are certainly worth your time.
While the album is consistently charming throughout, it doesn’t wholly feel confident in itself. The underdog aesthetic certainly works in its favour, though the amateurishtic execution of tracks such as All This is Over and Baby are often too sloppy, and frankly awkward. Moreover, there is a noticeably large range in quality throughout the tracks; the peak of the album is certainly Jazz Song w James (proof the short format of songs is still capable of delivering excellent progression and varied dynamics), though in comparison Toy Keyboard is a true test of patience.
Pop is certainly a promising debut, though the album cannot help sound like a mixtape of random experiments. The low-fi aesthetics are certainly enough to tie each piece together, yet there’s an apparent lack of vision. Nonetheless. Waifu Shrine’s creativity is undeniable, and if Chase were to home in on his skills, he’d be capable of producing a masterpiece. One can only hope he increases his output from 2021 onwards.
Good
Listen to it here:
Waifu Shrine – Pop
