Josh Owens

Debuting their 2nd LP, Chicago-based band Whitney got together again to release their long- awaited second LP, titled Forever Turned Around. Signed by Secretly Canadian, Whitney is the brainchild of Julien Ehrlich (formerly of Unknown Mortal Orchestra) and Max Kakakcek (formerly of Smith Westerns), two extremely talented songwriters. Building off of their strong first album Light Upon The Lake (2016), Max and Julien continue their interweaving of indie and 70s soft rock. Although very similar to their debut instrumentally, Forever Turned Around takes a gentler route compared to their previous efforts. The album itself is reminiscent of watching the trees and plants slowly bloom, flourish, and lose their leaves as seasons change, reflected in their instrumental track “Rhododendron”. Some of my favorite tracks such as “Used to Be Lonely”, “Valleys (My Love)”, and title-track “Forever Turned Around” also mirror this feeling, painting transcendental imagery of love as it comes and goes, and exploring the feelings felt throughout. I had the privilege of seeing them play at Union Transfer in Philadelphia as one of the first stops on their tour, which has been one of the most memorable shows I’ve seen so far. The band consisted of drums, three guitars, bass, horn, and a string section, giving the band a full sound with lots of little details mixed in between. They perfectly encapsulated the sad feeling of the end-of-summer turning to fall, as cooler weather prevails. Live versions of “Friend of Mine” and “Giving Up” were the standouts by far, as well as cameos by their tour opener Hand Habits during their track Rhododendron. Whitney may not have changed their sound at all too much, but that is because their sound is all too beautiful to change in the first place.