Parasol Waves play a style they call “Jeju Chill-Out” and follows a slow tempo mix of indie and brooding rock. The band is similar to CHS and Moskva Surfing Club, taking inspiration from beachside emotions and environments. Wind & Wave differs because it comes from Jeju’s unique environment rather than an overall beach tone. Parasol Wave’s four-song EP is another excellent addition to this growing music style.
Opening the EP, “Wind & Wave” starts with a sample of incoming waves. The light drumming is matched with groove-focused bass and guitar accents. Mellow vocals weave through the instrumentals. The core of Parasol Waves feels like it’s about enjoying the moment that you’re in now, instead of always looking forward. “Wind & Wave” uses its slow tempo to add an ambiance to a slow day.
The EP is a little short of 24 minutes and each song feels like the perfect length. Parasol Waves isn’t interested in moving quickly and sets a perfect pace with the incoming tide. Even though the melodies are great, I think the core of the sound comes from drummer Yang Goon and bassist John. The pair create the structure of every song to make them successful.
“Take a Break” is a minimalist song that really captures Parasol Wave. It’s mainly instrumental and allows everyone to shine respectively. “Lyrd” is the outlier on the EP. It’s slightly more rock-forward than the other three songs mixing a bit of British rock through the guitars. Esteban’s vocals give the song a harder edge and the guitars have a sharper attack, especially during the solo.
Closing Wind & Wave, “Aquarius” falls back to Parasol Waves’ regular style. It also adds the tide sample and slows the tempo down again. On a random listen, the introductions to Parasol Wave’s songs are all a bit identical but given time each song is unique.
Wind & Wave is an excellent debut EP. Taking influence from Jeju and translating that to music is something you don’t really hear often and I really liked the calming and mellow nature of the experience. Parasol Waves are a band to follow.
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Chris P
Korean Indie owner and Editor at Large. Constantly looking for new music and working on library parity on Spotify and YouTube Music.