Starting with the album’s title, Welcome To The Shower, it’s immediately clear that Tanner York operates on a different level than most musicians. Many of the tracks are weird in the true sense of the “weirdo music” genre, yet their faint pop melodies manage to stick with you through their fuzzy casings. York’s vocals bounce between various effects and octaves on every song, a reminder that they can’t be pinned down. Recorded and produced in true DIY fashion across multiple studios and living rooms, in York’s hometown of Asheville and beyond, Welcome To The Shower feels like a collection of intimate songs that sit warmly beside you as you listen.
“Baby Bloo” immediately inserts us into the weird world of Tanner York. Over a wobbly and familiar lullaby-esque melody, floats the wobbly and otherworldly vocals of York. “Cut Out” is a lovely and friendly pop track, with a chorus that gives dimension to the airy melody, digging down to the core of the song’s heavy emotion.
“Girlfriend” injects jangle pop with a slight twang that could easily perk a country fan’s ear to the music. On the album’s title track, “Welcome to The Shower,” we are quite literally welcomed into a shower: running water and unmistakable bathroom acoustics give way to a flamboyant harmonized choir instructing us to “get real clean.” The swaying melodies of “Mary’s Flowers” then dissolve into the plucky strings of “All Over Again.”
“Lucky Me” cranks up the energy and attitude – yet not without York’s signature tempo shifts that offer brief reprieves. A bright organ lights up “Museum Broadway,” calling back to 1960s pop, while “Song for Running Fast” bursts in as a brief, energetic rock track perfectly placed in the album’s home-run section. The final two songs, “Takeaway” and “Blarry,” close the album with concise storytelling and pleasant pop melodies.
Welcome To The Shower is a defiantly off-beat debut that never lets you settle into comfort – its DIY ethos, fuzzy production, and elastic vocals keep you on your toes. Tanner York’s ability to fuse unexpectedly catchy pop hooks with genuine moments of weirdness makes this album a rewarding, if occasionally disorienting, listen. Whether he’s serenading us under the cover of shower tiles or unleashing a full-throttle rock blast, Tanner York proves he’s unafraid to follow his instincts wherever they lead. For anyone craving music that feels both intimately handcrafted and unpredictable, Welcome To The Shower is an invitation you won’t soon forget.
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