This long awaited album has been on my radar for awhile. After seeing this dream pop duo play Khatsahlano Festival in 2018, it’s been a slow release of singles, while we all patiently waited for a full length album to drop. The name change (formerly Booty EP) almost gave me the slip, so it’s a relief this release didn’t accidentally fall to the wayside. The album is definitely a more refined sound than their previous releases, and the musical maturity of Doohickey Cubicle shines through. There’s a give and take between Alli and Francis — you can feel a vocal passing-of-the-baton as each verse goes by, eventually coming together for choruses. The album contains an eclectic assortment of musical support with bass, drums, and even saxophone, giving each song a different feel. Still, the album remains united. You can listen to this body of work and think ‘this really jives together,’ but also realize the start and end take you to completely different places.

The album is a rolling hill of different tempos and sounds. Songs like “Hotel Beds” and “Thinking” are both a slow build with soft melodies and meaningful lyrics. “Forever” provides that mid-album pick me up that will have you swaying whether you realize it or not. It’s reminiscent of early Broken Social Scene or Washed Out, but a gentle keyboard replaces the pieces a guitar or synthesizer would typically handle.

When you reach the end, who should appear? None other than iconic Canadian duo Blue Hawaii, adding their remix of single “Airbag.” After spending this album feeling like you’ve been lying in a tranquil field under the warm spring sun, you’re suddenly dancing in your seat. You come away feeling energized and ready to start the entire thing all over again. It’s a quick album, only spanning around 25 minutes, but it’s nice that way. This is the perfect album to set the stage for summer time, whether we’re going to spend it together or together at a distance. — Shayna Bursey