Light Upon the Lake by Whitney

It’s always a bit strange to pick up an album you listened to quite a bit over the summer and then listen to it when it’s 34° outside and pitch black. You hear the album in question in an entirely different way. So it is with Chicago band Whitney’s fantastic, and very summery, debut album, Light Upon the Lake.

Take a smidge of Andy Gibb, throw in some reverb, some compressed horns, and a dash of happiness and you end up with Whitney. The band rose up out of the ashes of the short-lived but critically acclaimed Smith Westerns.

Despite the cold and wet outside, I suggest putting this album while lounging in front of a raging fire. Put on headphones to block out the crackle of the fire and close your eyes — you’ll be instantly whisked away to a distant beach, the sun beating down on your face, and you’ll feel an urge to reach for some sunscreen that isn’t there. Now enjoy the music. Just be sure not to catch your toes on fire while daydreaming.

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