Cali Giraffes on Fin Records

There are no second acts when it comes to American lives but not with American bands. Recently there have been reunion tours for even the most internally troubled bands that vowed to never play together on stage again. Bands that didn’t play anything bigger than a basement the first time around are back headlining summer festivals. Not to mention the number of bands who over the years end up swapping members and changing their name to start over entirely. In the case with Cali Giraffes, former members of The Fastbacks (Kim Warnick) and Alien Crime Syndicate (Mikey Davis) had no intention of starting a band until they ended up getting together with Evan Dando one night and many drinks later had a name and plans to record this single.

A-Side’s "All My Life" sounds like a modern take on The Breeders with more of a layered in harmony sound but that same kind of optimism. Sunny and upbeat with a bit of a snarling punk solo, it’s crisp, tight songwriting bursting at the seams with hooks and glitter. Not a moment wasted transitioning from crazy tempo to a lullaby dreamland finish Kim’s slight echo goes into an almost twee bubbly place that then leads you right off the end of that bridge. The rails were cut right off at the end of that drop - didn't even see it coming. Falling to the bottom of the canyon you’re still thinking, ‘It was worth it’.

The B-Side, "Lazy Days" has Mikey on this side climbing up to a shiny falsetto way up there in the heights of super pop sound. They’re using all kinds of crazy effects in subtle ways punching up a specific thread, the two of them working out complex facets on this huge diamond with no room for error cutting the razor finish across its face. Just like the Lilys who seemingly mashed up pop styles in unique, gleaming ways, Cali Giraffes are a hazy psych under a pop microscope with fittingly deluxe packaging and clear blue vinyl from FIN.