Whitney accomplish a grandeur all their own on Forever…, finding themselves, right now, exactly where they should be.
A deeper look at Forever Turned Around reveals a score of meticulously crafted songs that all work together to create a very specific mood, a near-flawless soundtrack for the changing of the seasons.
Even though they sound like they’re strumming their way through a lazy afternoon, they have a lot on their mind.
All of the beats are familiar, perhaps to a fault, from the instrumental at the midpoint to the shyly epic closer, but Forever Turned Around represents nuanced progress from an admirably subtle band.
Sometimes no big surprises is a welcome result.
‘Forever Turned Around’ may not be a record that will quicken any pulses but what it lacks in bangers, it makes up for in beauty.
Forever Turn Around ends up being meandering, sleepy sometimes to a fault, a charmingly doe-eyed take on the kind of classic rock revivalism that plays well at music festivals.
Forever Turned Around is striking in its warmth.
Forever Turned Around is a bold accomplishment by Whitney, the perfect record for the nights where summer turns to fall, and after a beer or two, you fill with memories of what could have been.
None of it’s new, but it’s proof that a lot can still be done with a beery-eyed keyboard and a six-string strum.
Though relying on their well-worn instrumental strengths and lacking Light Upon the Lake's compositional variance, Forever Turned Around sharpens Whitney's songwriting for another intimate collection of heartfelt tunes.
Influences begin to blend with the uninspired, and with that, Forever Turned Around fails to pack the punch Light Upon the Lake did so effortlessly.
Clearly, behind the easygoing melodies, the band have been grappling with those age-old existential issues, questioning mortality and doubt.
We’re not asking Whitney to soundtrack a raging rebellion, we just want them to make us feel things. ‘Forever Turned Around’ only partly succeeds.
Confusion and substance abuse are interesting themes hinted at but disappointingly never fully explored on Chicago-based Whitney‘s underwhelming second album Forever Turned Around.
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/ | Esquire (UK) |