On January 22nd, the frontman of pop-rock band Waterparks, tweeted a harmless challenge: get 20K retweets on a tweet, and if they did, he would release an album that same day.
He didn’t think it would happen, so when it happened in less than 24 hours, he was stressed to say the least. He delivered what he promised, however, and released an album full of demos — some of them never heard before and dating back as far as 2014.
Track 1: “Noise”
Immediately this song reminded me of 2000’s pop punk, with the staticy vocals and very loud guitar. It’s reminiscent of bands like Green Day, and is a track that you can really jam out to. This was another song that Awsten had leaked previous to the album, and it quickly became a fan favorite. It was a nostalgic track that reminded fans of their earlier sound. The lyrics keep a theme that is very relevant on their latest album, that theme being that of the fans wanting more and more from the band and never seeming to be satisfied. “Bored, I think they’ll always want more. They won’t just take what they can get, my dress, my head, my death,” is just one of the lyrics expressing this. The overall heavy guitars make for a more angry track in tone, and in my opinion would make for a fun live experience. This is one of the strongest tracks on the short album, and I feel like it would have fit well with the tone of Fandom.
Track 2: “Teenage Jealousy”
This track is probably one of the most angry and emotional songs that Awsten has ever released to the public, rivaling other tracks such as “TANTRUM” or “Turbulent.” It begins with Knight’s isolated vocals with a simple synth track in the back, and as the lyrics grow more into a simple rap beat, the instrumentals kick in and bring you into the first chorus with gusto. The song itself feels like a mix between Waterparks’ newer and older sounds; the verses are faster and stylistically more rap like and the choruses are more laid back and reminiscent of something that would be on Double Dare. The lyrics are in true Knight fashion, in that they are creative and hit hard in the most subtle way. My favorite is, “Y’all are just friends right? That’s kinda weird, cause it seems like everything I feared is right. You don’t see me making out with Geoff, but maybe I’m doing friendship wrong.” It’s a hard dig at his ex, and caused the whole fanbase to collectively lose their minds. This is another one of my favorites off of the album as it’s the most vulnerable. It truly is a window into what Knight’s mind was like all the way back in 2017. It’s also something that is stylistically more unique for them, and the simplicity of it was something that I really enjoyed.
Track 3: “Read My Mind”
This song immediately brings about a sound reminiscent of Blink 182. It’s catchy guitar intro is one that you won’t forget. It’s one of the oldest tracks on the album, dating back all the way to 2015. It’s definitely more classic pop-punk like their older music, yet it still has a unique touch to it that makes it a true Waterparks track. The song also has a guitar riff after the first chorus that you can also hear in another track on their hit album, Double Dare, the track being “Little Violence.” The song is repetitive however, and seems a little lifeless in comparison to others on the album. Overall it’s not a bad track, but it doesn’t feel like a true Waterparks track.
Track 4: “Glitter Times”
This was a track that fans of Waterparks were already very familiar with. Knight is a fan of going on Instagram live and leaking demos from the band, and he did just that in November of 2018 with Glitter Times. The immediate synth tracks make for a more upbeat and happy sound than most of the other demos. The overall style of the instrumentals is reminiscent of something that would be on Entertainment, but as soon as the pre-chorus played, many fans noticed the beat was exactly like that of “Dream Boy,” a single off of their latest album, Fandom. Many fans have theorized that “Glitter Times” was originally supposed to be on the album, but Awsten had decided to use the same melody and revamp the track into what we now know as “Dream Boy.” The guitars are simple yet make the song unique, as it’s an instrumental style that we haven’t really heard before from the trio. The vocals on the chorus are truly a testament to Knight’s talent. It’s not my favorite, as it feels repetitive and a little too simple.
Track 5: “Perfect Posture”
A very simple and fun track, with the guitars and basic vocals fitting the theme of the lyrics very well. The catchy guitar riffs and melodies make for a fun track that you can easily nod your head to. The guitars, however, do overpower the vocals in a way that makes it difficult to interpret the lyrics and hear them in the way they’re meant to be heard. I feel like they swallow the vocals, and granted it is a demo, but I feel like stylistically it was meant to be that way and it wasn’t something I enjoyed too much. I did enjoy the guitar solo after the bridge, followed by the quick bass riff that leads into more isolated and clear vocals. The lyrics are well done, however repetitive. “I followed you into my sudden doom,” is a lyric that I personally relate to, and I think it’s a great opening line and something that immediately sets the tone of the track. Overall, probably my least favorite on the album but it’s still a decent track.
Track 6: “Lemonade”
This song is definitely a sound from Waterparks that we haven’t heard before. It sounds like something you’d heard in the early 2000’s, almost like Blood on the Dance Floor. Straight away, the lyrics almost sound like Knight is pouting or throwing a tantrum of sorts, but not in a bad way. After the first few lines, seemingly out of nowhere, Knight begins to scream the next few lines. I’ll be honest, it’s not my favorite screaming he has done, as he has done it on previous tracks, but it was definitely a surprise and caught me off guard. It’s a very dark track and the lyrics of the chorus are a new direction that we haven’t heard them go before. “I wanna eat your face/I wanna hug your brain/I wanna drink your blood like it’s lemonade.” Fans can’t quite figure out the meaning behind the short track, and have been trying to decipher it since it’s original leak back in 2018. It’s also not one of my favorites off of the album, but it was fun to hear such a unique track from the group.
Track 7: “Sorry As I’ll Ever Be”
The haunting guitars at the beginning lead you into a more somber track. While energetic instrumentally, the lyrics are quite the opposite. Right off the bat, you can make a connection between this track and “High Definition.” In “Sorry As I’ll Ever Be,” the lyric goes, “We could float together/If I was around enough,” and in High Definition it goes, “I know I’m not around enough to make me worth the wait/It’s like who wants to be close with someone who always goes away?”. Knight has been very transparent in the fact that him touring all the time and being away from home has put strains on relationships. The guitars and steady drum beats on this track are reminiscent of their more pop-punk style, and it feels like a classic Waterparks track. Again on the bridge, Knight spits a string of lyrics at the audience and delivers another rap-like verse. The track ends just as haunting as it began. This is probably my favorite off of the album, as the lyrics are very relatable and the instrumentals are some of the strongest of the demos.
Track 8: “Last Heaven”
The synth track that leads you into the song is probably my favorite that I’ve heard from Parx so far. It’s mystical and steady, and makes for a fun beat to nod your head to. It reminds me of something you’d see in Stranger Things or a movie from the 80’s, and I can clearly imagine being in an arcade and hearing this in the background. The musicality itself match the tone of the lyrics. The vocals on the track are some of my favorites and they’re very strong. For how short the song is, only running 2 minutes and 33 seconds, it leaves a lasting impression and hits hard. “You took your time and it left me pacin’, the better half of a year spent chasin’,” makes for a hopeful mood, but the fans know it’s about his breakup, so it creates a somber mood. It seems, as an afterthought, after those hopeful and lovey feelings for his ex had faded, he added a voicemail from her. The bridge is the same catchy synth beat with her voicemail playing in the background. This is one of the strongest tracks off of the album.
Overall, the album is a strong collection of music and it was awesome that Awsten felt comfortable enough to share these demos with us. There were a couple of songs that weren’t so strong, but the tracks that were strong did make up for it. You can stream it below on Soundcloud.
