Eggy - Waiting Game (2024) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Laurel
02. A Moment's Notice
03. Smile
04. Shallow Rivers
05. Come Up Slow
06. Must Come Down
07. Way Of The Stone
08. So Long
09. Waiting Game
10. Gentle Clown

Eggy, the New Haven, CT rock quartet known for its improv-focused live shows, has released its long-awaited sophomore album, Waiting Game. The ten-track LP, recorded with producer James Petralli (White Denim) in early 2023, marks the first full-length studio release from Eggy since 2019’s Watercolor Days.

While often (and not necessarily incorrectly) categorized as a “jam band,” Eggy—comprised of Jake Brownstein (guitar, vocals), Dani Battat (keys, vocals), Michael Goodman (bass, vocals), and Alex Bailey (drums, vocals)—aimed to break that mold on Waiting Game. Labels like melodic indie-folk, Laurel Canyon-inspired pop-rock, and introspective Americana feel more appropriate than “jam band,” which they tend to classify as a “community” rather than a “genre,” but one element in particular sticks out: While Jake and Dani, along with longtime lyricist Pat Amarante, are the primary songwriters on the record, Alex sings lead on every track.

The band hadn’t set out to make an album of “Alex songs,” Brownstein explained to Live For Live Music last year. During the four-week recording process with Petralli in Los Angeles, both Jake and Dani tracked lead vocals for songs they had written on the album. In both cases, they elected to go with Alex’s take. “I’ve put enough of myself into this music that I’m not really worried about giving songs I wrote to him to sing,” Brownstein told Live For Live Music of the creative choice. “Now, I just want this thing to be as good as it can possibly be.”

The wide range of sounds encompassed by the songs on Waiting Game put the band’s impressive growth over the past five years on full display. Each track on the new album presents its own journey complete with immersive production, thought-provoking lyrical content, and tactically restrained musicianship (with radio-friendly runtimes and a notable absence of “jam band” instrumental solos). Despite the strength of each individual song, however, Waiting Game is best enjoyed as a whole, a rare “no skips” album in a modern music landscape that often puts a premium on single tracks and social media-ready snippets.

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