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Nov 28, 2023 By Caleb Campbell

San Francisco-based quartet The Umbrellas first made their names with warm and earnest indie pop, debuting with their 2021 self-titled LP. With their forthcoming sophomore record, Fairweather Friend, they hope to expand that sound palette with a dose of volume drawn from their raucous live show. As singer and guitarist Matt Ferrara says, “I think we got tired of people saying, oh you’re so much louder than I thought you’d be! Our early recordings are sweet and earnest… and we wanted it to be louder.”

The full album is out on January 26th via Slumberland, and the band have already shared the record’s lead single, “Three Cheers!” Today, the band are following with an early listen to another new track, “Echoes,” premiering with Under the Radar.

After the propulsive rush of their lead single, “Echoes” finds the band leaning back into their talent for chiming pop songwriting, carried by winsome melodies and sunny instrumental textures. Singer Morgan Stanley’s lilting vocals carry echoes of bands like The Sundays, imbuing the track with honeyed charms and a wistful undercurrent. Yet, the band’s rhythm section also adds a vital element to the track, bringing a sharp bass groove and powerhouse drumming into the mix. The band delivers dreamy jangle pop with an unexpected punch, a work of contrasts that makes the resulting track pop with irresistible energy.

The band says of the song, “‘Echoes’ utilizes that wistful, melancholic feeling of letting go of some of the more unrealistic aspects of your dreams and aspirations. A sense of world-weariness sets in, and when we wrote this song we were all processing that in different ways.”

Check out the song and accompanying video by Morgan Alice below. Fairweather Friend is out January 26th via Slumberland and Tough Love in the UK/EU. You can also check out the band’s upcoming tour dates below.

Tour Dates:

12/07/23 – Los Angeles, CA – Permanent Records
12/08/23 – San Diego, CA – Gonzo! Ramen
12/9/23 – Felton, CA – Felton Music Hall *
12/11/23 – San Francisco, CA – Cafe Du Nord *
12/12/23 – San Francisco, CA – Cafe Du Nord *
02/26/24 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour #

* = w/ The Lemon Twigs
# = w/ Snail Mail, Narrow Head