Bahamas—My Second Last Album

There was something that struck me as soon as I started listening to this album. Its laid back, chilled vibe feels entirely in keeping with the band’s name, and it sets the mood from the very first moments.

The album opens with "Sauna", a title that may feel fitting given the artist’s Finnish heritage, yet the song is anything but a stuffy sweatbox. It is light and airy, evoking the sense of strolling along a beach on a warm summer day. The lyrics carry an almost childlike quality, and that innocence works beautifully.

That chilled vibe carries into "Country for the Town", which opens with a lovely guitar flourish and once again feels like summer unfolding from the speakers. It is a warmly welcome sensation at this time of year, and one that Afie, the lead singer, will be familiar with also living in Canada.

The flow continues with "The Bridge". Musically it leans into a calypso vibe, though the vocals didn’t quite connect for me. There are several appealing elements in the track, yet they feel somewhat disjointed to my ear.

"Ready for a New Thing" feels a little more conventional, which may sound like faint praise, yet it is a more cohesive piece than the track before it and works very well. It is light and airy, giving the vocals plenty of room to shine.

As we reach the middle of the album, "Only Inspiration" offers a chance to slow things down with a ballad that opens on a beautiful piano introduction. The song builds steadily as synth layers and ethereal vocal backing emerge. Around the halfway point it shifts into something a little different. There are touches of a pleasing guitar solo, though it feels slightly distorted and not quite in keeping with the track. It does not take much away too much from the song overall, but a cleaner tone would have suited it better.

And then things get a little funkier with "Dearborn". There is no need to panic, as it never pushes too far, but rather stays on the same soft yacht with a touch of added attitude, and it is impossible not to tap along.

Things return to a softer vibe with "Shadows", and I couldn’t help thinking of Gordon Lightfoot’s "Sundown". The guitar melody feels notably similar, yet it never slips into a weak pastiche. Instead, it carries its own identity while offering a tasteful nod to another Canadian legend.

I wasn't too sure about "Play the Game". I kept thinking "filler" for some reason. Maybe a little critical, but don't get me wrong, it's a nice track, nice melody, nice vocals, but it just didn't sit with me and that's all part of the album experience for me anyway, where I'm thinking about things more as a body of work, rather than individual tracks.

"Feels So Good" opens with another beautiful piano melody, but it doesn’t linger in that soundscape for long. The track shifts a couple of times, creating an unusual flow that, on paper, feels like it shouldn’t work. Yet somehow, the transitions come together seamlessly, giving the song a sense of unpredictability that keeps the listener engaged. There’s a subtle tension between the familiar warmth of the piano and the unexpected turns in the arrangement, which makes the track feel both surprising and satisfying.

I was hoping for a chilled sign-off for the album, and that’s exactly what "In Country" delivers. The track feels sentimental, personal, and almost confessional, yet remains laid back throughout. As the final note fades into the distance, you’re left with a lingering warm glow, the perfect gentle conclusion to the album’s journey.