Warm Weather Starter Pack is the sophomore album from Canadian rock trio The Dark Fruits. The release meshes a hooky, vibrant rock sound alongside thematic explorations of their Northern Canadian home, in Yukon Territory. Themes of connection, isolation, and relationships resonate alongside the geographical references.
The opening “California Beach” stirs with its meshing of crunchy alt-rock and surf-y bounciness. The reflective vocal/guitar pairing make for a hooky immediacy from the get-go. “The summer’s kinda fading, and the sun angle’s low,” the vocals admit in the second half, equating the ending days of summer with a relationship’s pending demise; this is a stellar opener to an album full of hooky vibrancy, enamoring with a bright rock sound fondly reminiscent of The New Pornographers.
Highlights are numerous on the release. “Asymptomatic” glides into a delectable central chorus, where caressing vocal backing and playful guitar glistening interlap. “Lately now I’ve come around,” the vocal layers declare during this irresistible sequence. Elsewhere, the more folk-forward introduction within “Ten Lakes and a Pool” proves intriguing, traversing to an anthemic mid-point with soaring vocal resonance; the two-minute turn casts a dreamy engrossment with the twangy guitars and emotive vocal convergence. Warm Weather Starter Pack touts an abundance of quality songwriting and warm, melodic productions from The Dark Fruits. Look for the band on tour in 2024.
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“California Beach” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of November 2023’ Spotify playlist.
