Windwaker – Love Language (Album Review)
Windwaker – Love Language
Released: May 6, 2022
Lineup:
Will King // vocals
Jesse Crofts // guitar
Indey Salvestro // bass
Chris Lalic // drums
Online:
Okay, take everything you think you know about the kind of music Windwaker makes and just throw it out the window. You listened to the singles and think you know what the new Windwaker sounds like? Well, let me tell you that all they did was unblock the peephole in the door for you to look through, and when you listen to Love Language in its entirety it’s like they’ve blown the door off its hinges.
Let’s kick it off with ‘Beautiful’. Yes, we’re familiar because it was their first single, and it’s a very comfortable album opener. They lull you in with a song you already know is a banger, one that shows their progression from their famed Empire EP in 2019, and one that is edgy right off the bat. You immediately hear how much vocalist Will King has been working on his clean vocals and damn we’re impressed, even more so to hear that fast paced and heavy breakdown topped off with some gutturals.
Then we move to ‘Lucy’ and again, as a single, it’s lovely, but in the scope of this album it takes on a greater role of displaying the band’s songwriting. This song is riff and rhythm driven, and there’s a great balance between melodic cleans and demonic screams and the contrast leaks throughout the whole song in the way they’ve put it all together. Emotions are felt in this track, and upping an octave in the refrain is just perfection.
Now, here’s where we get to hear Windwaker step into unknown territory. ‘Nighthawk’ has huge potential. It’s giving Don Broco vibes with the vocal melody and just the feel of the song; this is a stadium sound. It’s mature and almost stays in its own lane the entire time—except for the last minute. ‘Nighthawk’ is a song that displays control but you can hear that under the surface these guys are just hanging out to go wild, and they do. It’s a beast.
And speaking of beasts, ‘Dopamine Freestyle’ is just a different breed. Metal rap has been gaining popularity over the years and Windwaker fit right in there with this track. You can feel Will’s attitude and stage presence through the spitfire lyrics and the makeup of the song. It sounds unhinged in the best way.
‘Me + You, But Mostly Me’ flows so well after an aggressive song like ‘Dopamine Freestyle’, and is the mental rest you need to be able to consume the rest of the album. Adding ‘Glow’ into this section of the album shows an understanding of balance in constructing an album in that listeners need to be given space to digest before raising the intensity again.
And Windwaker do exactly that with ‘Trenches’. Are there some death metal vocals in here? With the pace of this song and the demonic screams and growls, I think so! This track is going to make many heavy fans very happy. It’s chuggy and technical, and I don’t want to give too much away, but that breakdown? Oof, yes please and thank you.
The party just keeps rolling on with ‘Superstitious Fantasy’ because it’s a groove. Screw your face up, get down and dance, and just try to keep up with those lyrics. It’s almost a shock when the next track ‘Silver Linings’ is a voicemail or voice note of a woman who sounds a bit drunkenly emotional, but it does lead perfectly into ‘Love Language’. The title track is ballad-like and emotional and from the heart. The guitar solo feels absolutely classic and very needed, and when the angelic choir floats in over the top? Heaven.
We’re nearing the end of the album and so we begin the climb back up to the peak with ‘Hide Seek’ which is, in essence, a rock song. It’ll get your head moving, is easy to listen to, and hits all the right spots because damn it’s catchy. This is an underrated track for sure, it’ll very easily become a favourite even though it’s not as ‘out there’ as other tracks.
‘The Rain’ is the album closer and has a techno-type opening with electronic percussion, but then it all hits and it’s brilliant. This song demonstrates all that Windwaker has become, and goodness me are they versatile and ridiculously talented. It may not be the closing song that many people expect, but it’s the closing song that this album deserves.
Windwaker have done a lot of growing over the past few years, and their hard work and creativeness has paid off tenfold. It’s almost hard to believe this is their debut album because it is so well constructed and executed. The peaks and troughs of this album are subtle perfection, and I believe you could listen to Love Language on repeat and the end song would merge beautifully with the first, creating an endless loop. That’s why this is a 10/10. If Love Language doesn’t launch their career internationally I’ll riot.
Windwaker – Love Language tracklisting:
1. Beautiful
2. Lucy
3. Nighthawk
4. Dopamine Freestyle
5. Me + You, But Mostly Me
6. Glow
7. Trenches
8. Superstitious Fantasy
9. Silver Linings
10. Love Language
11. Hide & Seek
12. The Rain
Rating: 10/10
Love Language is out Friday 6th May via Fearless Records/Cooking Vinyl Australia. Find your copy here.
Review By Ebony Story
