With a band name like Watermelon and a new four track EP called …And Meet the Sun, you might be expecting something entirely upbeat and peppy. But, if you’ve ever caught the band live you’ll know they have this knack for making you want to hip-sway while they remain completely subdued and cool. Here, the Vancouver trio lives up to those live performances by meshing catchy, upbeat guitar riffs with some droning post-punky vocals and a stark rhythm section.

  Recorded live, …And Meet the Sun is like stepping right into a spontaneous jam session. Each song complements the next, as they all seem to revive a ‘90s noise-pop aesthetic with the minimalistic and laid-back arrangement. For instance, the short and simple, “Split Ends,” opens with some blissful chords and a thumping bass line, before breaking down to a Jesus and Mary Chain-inspired solo.

  Compared to Watermelon’s earlier single release, “How I Came,” this four track EP sounds more raw and dark. There’s always this balance of groovy riffs and licks under a haunting soundscape of bleak bass and layers of distortion and echo. But, it doesn’t quite get that official stamp of lo-fi/shoegaze awesomeness, as in the end, it is just a low quality recording with the clunky drums and vocals suffocating under a tad too much reverb. So, here’s hoping for some studio-recorded versions of these otherwise wonderfully chill and laid-back tunes.