Album Review: "JINX" - Waterparks

Chantal Charles
Jul 28
5 min read

The beloved Texas trio Waterparks is back again with their 6th studio album, JINX, a record that proves the band isn't afraid to break out of their restraints and take risks.

Track List

TELL ME WHY

RED GUITAR

IF LYRICS WERE CONFIDENTIAL

PROWLER

BETTER THAN THERAPY

NOBODY BUT YOU

GWEN STEFANI

NO NO NO NO NO

PLAYING MUSIC

MIRAGE

TASTES LIKE TANGERINE

ANY MINUTE NOW

GIRLS NEED GUNS

Waterparks consists of lead singer and guitarist Awsten Knight, lead guitarist Geoff Wigington, and drummer Otto Wood. While Waterparks have always pushed towards experimenting with different musical and lyrical styles, JINX goes above and beyond. The album takes us on a diverse array of journeys, teaching us about passion, anxiety, death, and the dangers of living in the modern world and the restrictions that fall upon us. JINX proves that Waterparks never wants to play it safe, putting their artistic passions above all, which is why fans continue to come back to their work no matter how much their sound changes.

https://youtu.be/sduhWt2ZBTU?si=vvu9OFH9eGR2AcBI

The album begins with the theatrical "TELL ME WHY," which takes on a journey through life and death, and trying to understand the truth of purpose. It's a perfect way to start an album, listeners are immediately captured, similar to our song's main character. The hook for this track is unforgettable, and imprints on your mind the feeling of frustration. This song structure works so well for a band like Waterparks, that if they were to really lean into this theatrical style, the execution would certainly pay off. Next comes "RED GUITAR" which was the first single Waterparks released for this album cycle. This track explores the theme we often see throughout JINX, the struggles of being an artist and how this conflicts with the romantic imagery of fame. "RED GUITAR" is a song that grows on you, it's catchy like Waterparks tends to be, and in theme with its title, the guitars on this absolutely kill. The song knows how to have fun and be humorous, but it's also self-reflective in how even with these conflicts, there's no other life the artist would choose to take.

Following "RED GUITAR" is the punchy track "IF LYRICS WERE CONFIDENTIAL" an open letter to staying honest and caring less about outside opinion. The song exposes how crazed fan behavior only does harm and it allows audiences to understand how their behavior may have a negative impact. The song also reflects on expectations as an artist from the business side, and how the push to sell can become overbearing. We then follow with "PROWLER" which is so angry in a way that's hard not to sympathize with our speaker. Throughout this track we follow our speaker who mentions some of the more isolating aspects of this lifestyle, such as public perception and the need to be a perfect role model.

Throughout JINX we see explorations of passion and relationships, which Waterparks has always had a talent for. "BETTER THAN THERAPY" is so easy to fall in love with, due to its cinematic harmonies and unapologetic obsessive nature. It's a classic love song that makes you giddy and normalizes the crazy mindset you develop when you fall in love. "NOBODY BUT YOU'' is certainly one of the more intimate songs Waterparks have released. There's a shift in song here that works with its time, sultry and sweet, and it would be nice for Waterparks to explore this musical style a lot more in the future. "GWEN STEFANI" is the track dedicated fans have been waiting for a long time now, as this has been teased by the band many times now. Unbelievably catchy and it certainly meets expectations fans had for this track. It follows similar themes of feeling isolated from this lifestyle, even when looks don't always showcase these feelings.

''NO NO NO NO NO'' is classic Waterparks, and feels like it could have been a track on their 2019 record FANDOM. It's easy to fall in love with a song that sounds like classic Waterparks, as it plays along with the comforting aspects of being in a relationship, staying even when it all goes dark. "PLAYING MUSIC" has a great hook as well and could be seen associated with the other love songs on this album, but it doesn't feel targeted to romantic relationships specifically. The song yearns for love and acceptance from multiple outlets, it's a prayer to not be abandoned. It reminds you a little bit of their song "No Capes" off their 2016 EP CLUSTER. We then move on to "MIRAGE" which leaves you in emotional turmoil. It's a haunting track that reflects on how our past restrains us just as much as the others do. It's easy to fall for these illusions and it prevents us from breathing easy as we walk forward.

We reach another musical shift with "TASTES LIKE TANGERINE" as the song is gritty and transparent about how ugly our own thoughts can get. The song is a great reflection of anxiety and how it drowns and burns us, which leads to feeling so powerless. "ANY MINUTE NOW" will definitely make you cry on your first listen, and it's oddly comforting. The song makes you feel less crazy for feeling lost and behind as we constantly compare ourselves to the lives others have lied. It's a song that teaches us that we never stop learning and we may never feel secure, and that's okay. We reach the end of our journey with "GIRLS NEED GUNS," which is one of the most important songs Waterparks have ever written. Here, our lead singer Awsten Knight passes the microphone to his mother Ginny Knight, as she has a conversation with her son about how infuriating it is to live in a world which is shifting legislation set to control women's bodies. Waterparks have always been quick to speak up about political issues, so while this track isn't surprising, it's still cathartic to see a band showcase the horrors happening in this country.

JINX is an album you can't just listen to once and form an opinion on. You need to sit with her and really take in all the stories being told. You also want to reflect on how Waterparks musical execution continues to exceed expectation with it's creativity. It's a good thing to not have an exact answer whenever someone asks you what genre of music Waterparks makes, their versatility is what keeps inviting you back in.

Written By Chantal Charles