A 2020 cover of
the Seeds' garage rock classic "Pushin' Too Hard" suggested that
Nick Waterhouse had a surplus of the nearly savage energy that powered his self-titled 2019 album. Although he lets loose on the dramatic narrative "Fugitive Lover" and whoops it up a little in a couple other numbers, he otherwise keeps his cool on
Promenade Blue, a more restrained mix of vintage-sounding soul, pop, jazz, and doo wop. Like
Nick Waterhouse, this was produced by
Waterhouse and
Paul Butler (
the Bees,
Michael Kiwanuka), evidently kindred spirits who could go in any number of directions together. Perhaps as a consequence, the set is far-ranging and neatly tied together. The biggest differentiator here is in the strings, arranged by
J.B. Flatt, that augment the reflective and romantic highlights "Place Names" and "Very Blue," along with the strutting finale "To Tell." The slow-grinding "Medicine" and wafting instrumental "Promene Bleu" are just as memorable as the ones that raise a ruckus, from "Vincentine" to "B. Santa Ana, 1986" -- the latter a revelrous anti-anthem that has some fun with geographic identity. Additionally decked out with backing vocalists, brass and woodwinds, and even timpani, this is entertaining from front to back, if not quite as much of a thrill as
Waterhouse's previous studio LP. ~ Andy Kellman
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