Easy Life are back, this time with their debut album Life’s a Beach. After a spate of mixtapes and singles across the last couple of years, a final full-length album has dropped, and it has already begun making waves.
Straight away we dive into the album and their first single released ‘a message to myself’. Introspective but yet simultaneously universal in its message, the boys get off to a rather rocky start. The instrumentals hit us like stones on a pebble beach rather than the preferred sandier setting. The high-pitched fish character which reappears in ‘ocean view’ is a bizarre motif and one which I cannot get behind (unlike Murray in the song’s music video). Luckily, the glittering shell emerging between these initial rocks is ‘have a great day’. This track relays the band’s signature cheeky sound with a fantastic glimmering production and flippant lyrics – the overfamiliar ‘We’ll make the Neighbours Listen’ is crude and cheeky and just what the album really needs to set sailing.
‘skeletons’ also embodies this magnified sound, which sinks the track ‘a message to myself’ to the back of my memory and below sea-level. Probably the least beachy of the track-list, ‘skeletons’ could be found on any other Easy Life project. Punchy drums from Oliver Cassidy (Cass), and twinkling, wavy synths bubble up to the surface on this one, accumulating in an overall well-constructed winner.
‘daydreams’’s remix of its Aretha Franklin sample coupled with Murray’s audio is a beautiful touch of sun, or a 99 flake ice cream (not anymore, thanks inflation) enjoyed at golden hour at the end of a warm summer’s day. The trumpet-filled interlude that follows serves as an important reminder of the band’s brass section (Sam Hewitt’s saxophone on other tracks is often underrated) and an excellent point of navigation towards the album’s second half.
As Side B begins, this is where I was most impressed. Often, bands release the hit singles and then omit quality coverage in other further areas, much like that annoying patch of skin that you languorously miss out when applying the sun cream to your back. However, ‘living strange’ was one of my absolute favourite tracks off this album. Like a contemporary cultural zeitgeist, it skirts over topics such as serial dating and one-man romantic meals. It’s literally called ‘living strange’ for crying out loud. Equally, it was reminiscent a lot of their spaceships mixtape, one of my favourite Easy Life works and, come to think of it, another release with a prominent spatial theme. This made more sense as I found out that it was originally an older song, produced roughly around the same time as spaceships.
‘compliments’ sits back a little bit and let’s Murray do his thing, however not complacently – the track is cheerful and might be the ‘hidden treasure’ off the album alluded to within the lyrics. ‘lifeboat’ seamlessly transitions into the band’s Magnum Opus song ‘nightmares’. Forever, a summery bop, ‘nightmares’ brings back nostalgia of Easy Life’s 2019 summer touring. Back when things were normal…
Again, back with plain-sailing quality, ‘homesickness’ reflects a song like ‘mercury retrograde’ or ‘temporary love part 1’… and I love it. Lyrics like ‘Switch for me like Nintendo’ along with Murray’s vocals reverberating in the chorus sound very assured. ‘music to walk home to’ is an excellent banger to finish, different to the usual umbrella of upbeat songs the band have produced. The tongue-in-cheek self-reflective style of spoken word over its jazzy, salsa-infused rhythm is a feel-good way to end a day out at the beach.
With positive messages and feel-good accentuated hits, Life’s a Beach is the perfect curation to your upcoming renewed summer plans. With the changing of the seasons and the rain in Leeds finally lifting, let the ripples from Easy Life’s playful full-length project come into shore. Miles from a beached whale, this album is going places, and I for one, can’t wait to see where.
Image Credit: DIY Mag