joke’s on you by guccihighwaters is nothing to joke about

In a market where names like The Weeknd and Billie Eilish are so prominent why is no one talking about guccihighwaters? The lyricism, the DIY attitude and the pop prowess are all there and with the release of joke’s on you guccihighwaters is a name that is bound to be heard more.

For those that may be unaware, guccihighwaters is the brainchild of Morgan Murphy and fuses modern pop sensibilities without being overly poppy or sugary. It’s rich, deep and oft embraces a lyrical darkness without relying on it to carry the whole album.

From the opening note of “tragedy” you can get a good feel for what to expect with joke’s on you. It’s moody and creates an ambience that moves fluidly from one track to the next and is easy to get lost within it’s rich composition.

The first half of the album feels like a cohesive “supercut” of a track. While each has it’s own groove they create an atmospheric story of sorts that even if you don’t relate with the lyrics specifically they still immerse you in to a place where you can easily remember where you were in your part of the “story” in your own life. Whether it be the essence of missing someone in “hold somebody,” remembering dance parties as you groove to “rock bottom” or just reliving “highschool” memories.

“lovesick” is where the album hits it’s highest point and grabs your attention. It fades in with Ellise’s enchanting vocals, which provide some very nice harmonies throughout the track. It is a perfect midpoint for the album and easily stands out as a highlight (if not slated to be a single it definitely should be).

As the second half of the album continues the atmospheric story remains with so many elements that, as a listener, you still find yourself being immersed and relating with the story. However, just because the album is on the downswing doesn’t mean that things just taper off as there are still some great highlights/deep cuts like “catch-22,” “coming down” and the album closer “rope.”

Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, with a total of 14 tracks, joke’s on you is a powerhouse of a pop album. guccihighwaters is easily poised to be a name that everyone will be talking about in the near future and joke’s on you is already a standout album for 2021 (despite it’s January release).

joke’s on you is available for streaming via Spotify, SoundCloud, Amazon Music and Apple Music or visit the web-store to pre-order a physical copy on vinyl.

Follow guccihighwaters on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

-Phil Hawkins

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