And Other Delights is the 3rd full length album from The Cool Whips. Though the title was a missed opportunity for the band to cover themselves in cool whip a la Herb Albert & The Tijuana Brass’ iconic album cover, the albums cover does feature a painting of the band done by local Portland artist Simran Narmis.
The new album, And Other Delights is a light-hearted and upbeat trip through some of the essential sounds and melodies of early to mid-sixties pop, and it is a lot of fun to listen to. From the songwriting, with its catchy choruses and sugary hooks, to the production which was done in mono for this entire album, it perfectly captures the feel it is going for. One could imagine walking down to the old-fashioned soda fountain or a classic diner and hearing any of these tunes on the jukebox. They evoke a nostalgic feeling in the listener, even those of us who weren’t around to hear all that great 60’s pop when it was first released.
Despite the fact that one rarely hears it anymore on new releases, the mono production translates surprisingly well to the 21st century, where many people listen to music on cellphone speakers or small Bluetooth devices. There is a noticeable warmth and character to these recordings that make them stand out from a lot of “throwback” artists around today – this music is more timeless than simply “retro.”
The instrumentation is pretty consistent throughout – jangly guitars, bass and drums drive most of the music. Farfisa organ plays a major role in adding some extra melody, and occasionally an extra bit of strangeness, to the mix. There is a silly side to this band on songs like “Little Landlubber” that shows them to be a band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously, and there are also some seriously great hooks and choruses on this album like “Switched on Girl” and “Read it and Weep.” Highly recommended for fans of fun and catchy pop music in its purest form.
In an interview at their release show February 8th, drummer Luke Strahota described the album as “just powerpop, sugar-coated harmonies and hooks!” which sums up And Other Delights pretty well!
You can check out their live performance of “My Bubble” from the band’s release show below, and check out the full gallery from the show at the bottom of the page.
Follow The Cool Whips, and pick up “and Other Delights” here:
https://thecoolwhips.bandcamp.com/album/and-other-delights
Check out the full gallery from The Cool Whips’ release show with Panthervision and Streetcar Conductors below (photos by Kurt Johnson):
