Making Waves by Gab Manette
Released May 29, 2020
Starting with the cover art—love the classy pastel vibes here. With the name “Gab Manette” in a small border at the top, it feels to me like vinyl record art. Cool photo of (I assume) the artist here; the subtle touching of the bowtie mixes formal and laid-back moods in a way that matches the aesthetic of the music. The late-80s/early-90s graphics in the background are common in the genre but are used quite effectively here.
The LP begins with title track, Making Waves. It features a steady bass beat that has a fun interplay against the bright, playful melody. Daydreams is another driving, upbeat track. The final 20 seconds have a distorted, quieter sound as the song fades out, giving more meaning to the title—it feels like a sunny daydream that’s coming to an end.
Take My Hand and especially the standout Prom Night have a wistful retro sound that I really enjoy; the tracks’ titles set the mood and underscore that feeling nicely. Prom Night’s earnest, heartfelt melody plays mostly by itself during the patient opening, with the beat marked by sparse, distant synth drum hits. About halfway through, a simple drum part joins the melody in the foreground, carrying through the rest of the song. In the final 30 seconds, the character of the melody changes to feel happier and more positive. I don’t know music terminology very well—maybe a change in key, or a major/minor thing? Whatever the technique, it’s effective here. It feels like our possibly somber prom night takes a hopeful turn at the end. I love the complete little story we experience over the course of Prom Night, and it’s my favorite track on the album.
After Prom Night is Talk Show, a quick, fun, and almost gimmicky (but in a good way) track that throws in a bunch of classic ’80s synth sounds. As the name suggests, it could be the theme song of a cheesy 1980s talk show; the crescendo at the song’s end feels very much like the kind of thing you could see an Executive Producer credit over.
Naming a track Judge Reinhold provides an instant boost of ’80s essence, and that works here too. I don’t know a ton about Mr. Reinhold’s work outside of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but the name adds a dash of flavor on top of another fun, upbeat track. I especially love the echoed sound effect at 1:25. As with Talk Show, it feels like it could be another TV theme song, this time perhaps for a lighthearted hourlong drama featuring Reinhold as a young professional who uses cutting-edge business software on Wall Street by day and enjoys the Manhattan nightlife after dark. (I suppose one benefit of naming a track after an ’80s star is that it invites the listener to imagine their own scenario; works for me!)
The closing song, Portfolio, is driven by a great synth piano sound. As the name suggests, it has a sort of businesswave/officewave feel—like something you’d hear in a glass skyscraper’s atrium, or perhaps as a soundtrack for an upscale corporate training video. It’s a strong conclusion to one of my favorite LPs of the last several years.