by Kaitlyn Emslie Farrell
Birthday Tapes have announced their second compilation album appropriately titled Birthday Wishes Vol. 2. Featuring Seventeen artists, many of whom are local, Birthday Wishes Vol. 2 provides a wide range of steady pop and shoegaze. This is a mellow album, there’s no way around that. So if you’re looking for something to pump you up, try another route. If you’re looking for a soothing array of blended melodies, electronic tones, and whispered vocals, then slap this in your tape deck. With artists like housepanther, Jaywood, Rust Owl, Lounge FM, and Ciel, we know we can expect a dreary prairie vibe. But that’s not necessarily synonymous with misery. This structure of music isn’t set out to put a damper on your day, but to hold your hand and walk you through it, all the while shielding your freshly washed hair with a trusted umbrella. Birthday Wishes Vol. II will get you to wherever it is that you’re going, and it’ll get you there dry. There are out of towners on this diddy too, but they’re outnumbered, keeping the focus on the locals and using the not so locals like sprinkles on a cake. Smaller in quantity, no less important. Give it a listen and see what it tastes like to you.