Nominated by: Kevin Simms
Music club: Wander to Wozza's
Playlist addition: The Dolphin Song
This album is an absolutely inspired one-off and one of my favourite albums of all time - indeed, you may remember that when we did our top Kiwi albums, Waves was my second place holder - only beaten by Headband.
I love harmonies, I love acoustic guitar singalongs, I love Waves.
Dolphin Song b/w Letters on 45rpm (Direction Records) was my entry drug. I still have the single too. Dolphin Song is perfect, in that it evokes an idyllic watery feeling - alone - just me and the dolphin.
On to the album and it's just one beautiful song after another. There is nothing I would change. There is not one less than masterful musical moment. It's delicate and tough when it needs to be, the instrumentation has space to breathe, the combined harmony vocals are perfect for these songs, and the production is spot on - all bright and shiny with the vocals mixed perfectly. Waves and Roger Dawkins take a bow.
Five star Wozza classic. Easy peasy.
Comparing it to Misfits (appropriate title) is interesting because it clearly shows that the first album has a magical x factor that is not there on the follow-up (which wasn't released anyway). They try hard but the magic had gone. Rather than sad, I think it throws into stark relief the peculiar alchemy that made Waves.
BTW - GK and I saw Waves with After Hours at the Old Maid gig that has become legendary. Quite an event (waiting outside to get in was a revelation to me - what's that funny smell? I asked GK).
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