In 2022, California-based alternative rock band, Hot Lime Canary, will serve up a grand total of 13 singles as part of their untitled debut album. The second entry of this ambitious release plan is “Cool Water,” a hypnotic tune that refreshes you with chill melodic waves and splashes of swaggering vocals. Swimming in a sea of trippy, psychedelic-adjacent vibes, “Cool Water” quenches the thirst for a trance-inducing sound without a cacophony of competing noises.
From a melodic perspective, “Cool Water” emits a go with the flow theme. However, after digging deeper, it is not as relaxed as it first sounds. Granted, this tune will not rattle your cage with rumbling drums or quaking bass. But, it does feel like your mind is being contorted away from its baseline. You’re not centered, but you’re still slightly off kilter. In the end, you are at the mercy of a subliminal, melodic collective of dazed guitar and bass with trepidatious drums.
All the while, lead singer Kevin Bingham’s relaxed vocals reign supreme. There’s an air of nonchalance to them that speaks to the established haze of this track. Reinforcing the fog, Bingham plays along with how murky this song can get. His vocals embody how lost you can get inside the fuzzy melodic realm of this tune.
Playing against the odds is the only way Bingham can make heads or tails of anything. Taking a chance, he is left with the last resort of consulting a “fortune cookie” or “roll the dice.” Overall, he is looking for something to turn the odds in his favor. He’s feeling lucky, but it also feels like a bit of an illusion or, as Bingham puts it “like water in the middle of the dessert.” No clue what type of confectionery mirage they are alluding to, but a quirky play on words nonetheless.
Throughout “Cool Water,” you are never fully engaged in the here and now. Your mind drifts off with the subtle, soothing melody and never completely returns home. Perhaps, that’s what Hot Lime Canary were aiming for: to disconnect and wander beyond the confines of yourself.
Written by Travis Boyer
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