‘Pool Party’ is one of those feel-good records that just so happens to clock in at 21 songs. The flow is almost cinematic in nature. The album is sonically cohesive with a strong focus on disco, funk, soul, and pop mixed with unexpected detours into adjacent styles, all with frequent contributions by a wide variety of international guest vocalists. The opening track “Pool Party” lays down a hoppy and sunny bassline. “Hanging on the Tonic” starts off slower and spacey with an easy-listening coolness. “30 SPF” is airy and playful and features the first appearance of vocals. “Heater” is loud, rapid, and manic, best suited for furious dancing. “The Sugar Slide” is warm and sweet, and very groovy with some guitar strumming and snappy drum machine hits. “Perculator” is more off-kilter and eccentric.
“Oo Wee Yo!” is pure fun. It’s silly in a good way and easy to enjoy. “It’s Always Good Here” feels sunny and happy and bright. “Que Bonita” warms up with some Spanish vocals and an ebullient global vibe. “Dropping In” is downtempo and sparse. “Space Coast” is spacey and smooth and trips on soft and faraway synth pads. “220” and “The Tiger” pick up where the previous two left off with deeper and psychedelic grooves. “Categories” dials back to straight up soul, with deep and gritty vocals, deep bass, and a large horn section. “The Deep End” is airy and sparse and verges on ambient. “Paradise Groove #2” would not sound out of place on a low-fidelity West Coast sunshine 70’s pop record, though it still sounds very fresh.
“Patched Up Blow-Ups” is quirky, kooky, and easy listening. “Nursin’ It” is almost a comedown track, with plenty of atmosphere to lounge and relax after all of the heavy grooving. “Open Bar” winds things down further, while “The Cool Down” is the type of down-tempo, soothing, and comforting track you usually hear towards the end of records and prepares you for the big finale. But “Should We Go Back In?” is the final moment of euphoria. The track is short and sweet, and it is essentially just some dude yelling into a microphone asking if people want to keep the party going. Each song transitions into the next without missing a beat and there are no real low points or filler tracks. The production is analogue and has a nice lo-fi warmth to it. It was recorded to a Tascam 388 cassette recorder. ‘Pool Party’ has an infectious disco groove that one can easily get lost in and listen to on repeat.
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