winnetka bowling league channels their inner optimism in new ep ‘congratulations’
By Amy Tang
With Winnetka Bowling League’s new EP Congratulations comes bursts of upbeat chords, loud heartfelt anthems about being in love, and catching a break from the harsh realities of life. Especially considering how things have played out so far this year, who’s to say how these last remaining months will go? Lucky for us, Winnetka Bowling League is here to give us a brief but much needed 15-minute escape from the heavy downpour and disarray with their latest project Congratulations.
The EP starts with the playful opening track, “Kangaroo,” and it immediately grabs listeners’ attention with its strong electric guitar flair and colorful lyricism. As frontman Matthew Koma sings about having “rainbows coming out the back of my car” and how his “spirit animal’s a kangaroo,” listeners can easily get a feel for the light-hearted and humorous tone that’ll be present for the rest of the record. On the same note, the title track “Congratulations” continues the energetic vibe, while also touching on society’s perceived notion of happiness.
Next is “CVS” –– released as a single on Feb. 28 earlier this year –– a charming love song addressed to Koma’s significant other. Personally, this one’s my favorite. In contrast to the previous tracks, the song starts out soft and holds a steady acoustic tempo before pulling listeners in with its headbanging chorus. With lines like “We’ve got our SSRIs in common / You check the box on my right-side column,” and “Whenever you get around me / I got all I could ever need,” it’s guaranteed that this song is bound to tug at anyone’s heartstrings. Getting deeper into the EP and keeping up with the dreamy sentiments, “The Romantic Way” (appropriately titled-so) does not disappoint.
Lastly, “Come To The Beach” serves as the band’s final track and made its debut on Aug. 12 as the second single from Congratulations. The song is quite fitting for the California-bred indie group and is reminiscent of the sounds produced from their 2019 record, Cloudy With A Chance of Sun. Throughout the song, Koma addresses how easy it is to lose touch with life as the lines are often blurred between what’s real and fake. Between the mellow verses, carefree melodies, and rock-infused chords, listeners almost forget about its heavy underlying meaning.
As doom and gloom the year 2020 has been, Winnetka Bowling League has successfully showcased their quirks and musical talents once again with this new EP. Every track on Congratulations is memorable and sonically solid in its own way while also staying true to the band’s indie-alternative roots. Be prepared to make room on your playlists, ‘cause Winnetka Bowling League’s Congratulations will be the only thing on your mind and, from personal experience, I can definitely attest to that.