‘The Wow Signal’ by Watermelon Boy is a 15-track electronic album that blends genres based on who features on each track. The album’s soundscape that oscillates from ambient, yet fast-paced mood building to moving, reflective and emotional tracks.
This collection of tracks can be divided into to distinct yet whole parts that come together under a united theme and sonic movement. The first part that moves from track 1 (‘Outside’) to track 7 (‘Spirit of the Lagoon’) seem to embody an island sound. The beach is the main character, giving this side of ‘The Wow Signal’ a strong sense of location.
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‘The Wow Signal’ Pt. I: The Beach
‘Outside’ is a rhythmic and sharp track, with a well-worn groove informed by snappy rhythms. Its sets the tone for the rest of the album, particularly its first half. This groove seamlessly transitions into the tropical sounds on ‘Memories’. This club banger is simultaneously ambient and fast-paced. This while introducing the listener to this sound’s spatial surroundings, the beach in a seamless way.
The waves that transition into ‘Cagi Mudre Vou’, where this dynamic, fast-paced groove seems to slow down a bit. There’s a reflective flow to this track that doesn’t completely take over the tropical club ambience thats been established. But rather seems to make a space for itself within this groove. ‘Gbona’ keeps in with this slower reflection, keeping pace with this slightly altered mood, allowing listeners to simmer in it.
‘Glistening Sands’ gives listeners a sense of its title, conjuring up images of clumping sand lapped by glittering ocean waves. The sound loops in on itself, maintaining the ambience and sense of location first established. This while the sounds of cameras clicking give the song some sense of finality.
‘Mereba’ and ‘Spirit of the Lagoon’ seem linked in an emotionally charged way, introducing ‘The Wow Signal’ to a reflective and charged movement that persists till the end. Where ‘Mereba’ introduces this charge to the soundscape, ‘Spirit of the Lagoon’ keeps it up, while injecting a grounded sense of emotion into the album too.
The sound of ‘Spirit of the Lagoon’ breaks down into what sound like its brass tacks, percussion, synths and bass. This seemingly signals an ending and feels like it holds a sense of finality to it.
The second half of ‘The Wow Signal’ leans a bit more into melding different genres into each track while the first half felt a bit more homogenised with its strong sense of location as character. Track 8 (‘Damn Son’) to track 15 (‘Cheap Drinks & Bad Decisions’).
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‘The Wow Signal’ Pt II: Emotive Reflection
‘Damn Son’ holds the most rock moment on the album, with a deeper edge that switches things up in terms of the song’s mood. It carries on with the album’s thematic message. The only difference that there seems to be is that the song’s sound doesn’t blend into the songs that follow.
‘No Problems’ feels the most clear-cut and mainstream of the bunch. Its sound seems to expand and introduces a layer of light optimism to the album’s dynamic soundscape. The song also ends with the line “…don’t know why everyone’s so caught up (in) emotions…”. This lyric seems to thematically transition into the mood of ‘Hall of Fame’ that seems to deal with the fall-out of this statement.
The song seems to reflect on the responsibilities that come with gaining and maintaining influence over a large group of people.
‘Stand Up’ introduces a sound that seems isolated from the rest. It brings back the charged nature of ‘Mereba’ while holding a groove that is distinct and moving. ‘Break That Board’ on the other hand introduces a funk that seems subversive yet playful, chaotically reminiscent of keyboard pre-sets and video games.
This subversive funk is carried forward in ‘Du Papa’, a song that can only be defined as a “board breaker”. The song layers a sense of moodiness over the song’s subversive sound. It urges critical thinking, describing those who don’t as people who “…become faceless…”.
‘Outdoor Shower’ and ‘Cheap Drinks & Bad Decisions’ seem to cool down the soundscape by settling and resolving the sonic themes established throughout. Where ‘Outdoor Swim’ ocsillates between depth and darkness before expanding into a light mood backed by a choir, ‘Cheap Drinks & Bad Decisions’ resolves in the dark.
Like ‘Spirit of the Lagoon’, ‘Cheap Drinks & Bad Decisions’ breaks down the song into its basic elements. This, like the former signals an ending or resolution to the album and its sonic themes.
Conclusion
‘The Wow Signal’ by Watermelon Boy features a variety of artists from all over the world who informed the mood and tone of their individual pieces. These moods have been pieced together with seamless production choices that make the album an enjoyable listen.
The Artist
Watermelon Boy is a semi-fictional artist who makes electronic music ranging from banana lounge pina-colada to flat out carnival rave. As the Ambassador of the Space Tropics, their music is infused with tropical influences that utilise southern continents.
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Listen to ‘The Wow Signal’ here:
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