Waves Crashing Premiere Their Refreshingly Retro Album ‘Effection’

With Waves Crashing and their new album Effection, there is so much about it that is refreshingly retro. Take a look around the current alternative rock scene, and you won’t find much that sounds like this anymore. Their debut full-length, Effection, impresses in so many ways, a tribute to their versatility and appreciation for what’s come before them. You can hear the record today, before its proper March 20th release via Neon Sigh and Pleasure Tapes.

A trio from Olympia, Washington, you’ll hear a lot of early ’90s indie shoegaze in the band’s sound. Think of early Catherine Wheel during the period when they were instrumental in popularizing shoegaze as its own genre of rock. The soundscapes are ethereal, and the melodies are full of tension. There’s also an element of dream rock within layered guitars that build their wall of sound.

Commenting on the album, Waves Crashing guitarist and singer Josh Calisti states:

“Our album Effection is a deeply personal and heartfelt journey for me, about the effects of life. It captures the weight of the world and the anxiety that comes with it, while navigating the emotions of love and loss. The title also reflects the dynamic soundscapes that ebb and flow throughout the album, which adds another layer to the emotional experience.”

Effection was written at Calisti’s house in the woodlands of Olympia. Thematically, the album ruminates on the realities of everyday life. There are certain universal themes that apply to it, like love, anxiety, the fear of death, mental health struggles, and feeling weighed down. It suits the mood of the music, which feels at times tense, volatile, with darker moments intermixed. The sound mixes are complex and experimental, but there is enough of a pop sound to make the record accessible. But this album is very much about “sound.” Layers and layers of it. Together since 2019, Calisti and his bandmates, drummer Bryce Albright and bassist Zach Olson, know just how to get the best out of each other. On Effection, Waves Crashing sound as evolved and well composed as they ever have.

Effection Track Listing:

1. Prelude
2. Comatose
3. Parts of Me
4. Sea of Change
5. In My Head
6. Treading Water
7. The Crowd
8. Coda
9. Parts of Me (Lo-Fi Version)
10. Comatose (Lulu Lewis Remix)

Tour Dates:

03/21 – Tacoma, WA – New Frontier
03/22 – Puyallup, WA – Atomic Genius Records
04/05 – Everett, WA – Lucky Dime
04/24 – Portland, ME – Blue Portland Maine
04/25 – Portsmouth, NH – WSCA Button Factory
04/26 – Medford, MA – Deep Cuts
04/27 – NYC – Mercury Lounge
06/14 – Olympia, WA – Cryptatropa
08/14 – San Francisco, CA – The Knockout
08/15 – Los Angeles, CA – Gold Diggers
08/16 – Sacramento, CA – Café Colonial

Waves Crashing ‘Effection’ album artwork