The Pacific Northwest has always been a petri dish for bands that mix raw power with soul-crushing existential dread. Waves Crashing, the Olympia trio who’ve been doing cool stuff since 2019, aren’t here to break that tradition. Their debut LP, Effection, is a 10-track avalanche of fury, shimmer, and rock itself.
Josh Calisti, the guy fronting this circus (guitar/vocals), is like a human tornado—a Jersey-born, Denver-polished nomad who finally planted his boots in Olympia’s soggy soil. His guitar work here feels like watching someone juggle chainsaws while tap dancing. Drummer Bryce Albright, a Reno export with skillz for tribal precision, and bassist Zach Olson, a Washington lifer with lines thicker than Puget Sound fog, form a rhythm section that doesn’t just keep time—it owns it. These guys are a trifecta of noise builder-beasts, building cathedrals of sound that collapse into carnage.
Effection isn’t just some album you throw on in the background. The first track, “Prelude,” creeps in all eerie and cinematic before “Comatose” kicks down the door like the cops just showed up. Albright’s drumming on this one is colder than a witch’s tit, totally clashing (in the best way) with Calisti’s gothic guitar haze. It’s just as if Factory Records had a mix-up with the sound of Big 2025, and that combo grew up to punch you in the ears.
Then there’s “Parts of Me,” the album’s glittering centrepiece. Beatrix Sky’s backing vocals float like ghosts (elegantly), while Olson’s bass drapes around Albright’s beats tighter than a boa constrictor. It’s shoegaze that struts, a tune you could blast on a late-night cruise or in a grimy basement bar. But don’t get too comfortable—Waves Crashing thrives on whiplash. “Treading Water” comes in like a wrecking bomb, obliterating the calm with what we’re gonna call a “metal-gaze” assault (yeah, we’re coining that term) that’s somehow both bruising and danceable. Calisti’s vocals here are a desperate howl, fighting to surface from the squall.
Calisti doesn’t mince words about Effection’s ideas: This album’s all about life kicking you in the teeth—love, heartbreak, panic attacks, and staring down your own mortality. Tracks like “In My Head” and “The Crowd” focus on mental health; but not all negativity – they turn those dark thoughts into air-punching works of musical art. Recorded in Joshua Charette’s Elma studio (with Charette himself adding synth and bass magic), the LP’s production is a tightrope walk between meticulous detail and live-wire naturalness. You can virtually smell the sweat, see the spilled beer and feel the sticky floor.
Most bands tack on lazy remixes as filler. Not these guys. The lo-fi rework of “Parts of Me” strips the track to its bones—haunting, sparse, and dripping with atmosphere. Meanwhile, NYC’s Lulu Lewis (Pablo Martin) injects “Comatose” with a New Romantic pulse, swapping gloom for glitter without losing the original’s bite. It’s a bold move, proof that Waves Crashing respects their audience’s intelligence—and their own artistry.
Effection isn’t some nostalgia throwback. From the unreal aura of “Coda” to the pit-starting chaos of “Sea of Change,” Waves Crashing melds retro awe with forward-thinking ferocity. This is music for anyone who’s ever reeled a Fender Twin to max just to feel alive.
Waves Crashing ain’t hiding in the studio. They’re hitting the road hard, from Tacoma’s New Frontier days ago (3/21) to LA’s Gold Diggers (8/15). Listen up—you want to see Albright’s cymbal crashes live, feel Olson’s bass in your chest, and watch Calisti shred like a man possessed.
Effection has been streaming since March 20th. Order it, stream it, steal it (kidding—support artists, folks). But whatever you do, listen. This isn’t just an album—it’s a lifeline.