8/10

Brooklyn’s Wetsuit return with a sophomore album that feels like a weathered scrapbook brought to life. 'Yarn for Future Scarves' unspools memory after memory with a tactile warmth, merging fuzzy indie-rock riffs, shimmering synths, and driving 80s-inspired percussion into a soundscape both intimate and expansive.

Opening with 'Cider', the band immediately immerses us in the minutiae of city life; the hum of AC units, the distant bark of a dog, the rhythm of backyards and fire hydrants, where each note a vivid brushstroke painting Allison Becker’s journey from Midwest roots to New York adulthood. Anders Nils’ guitar work slinks and saunters like sunlight through scrappy apartment windows, while Tess Kramer and Paul DeSilva anchor the songs with percussive momentum and basslines that push the melodies forward without ever overpowering them.

The album excels in its ability to turn personal history into universal emotion. In tracks like 'Midwest Dream' and 'Sweet Sixteen', Becker balances vulnerability with self-aware playfulness, her voice curling from soft introspection to bold crescendos, carrying us through adolescent yearning, familial reflections, and the sometimes awkward, always necessary negotiation of identity. Songs such as 'Amy' and 'Can’t Hold Water' showcase her storytelling at its sharpest, threading humour, heartbreak, and nostalgia with lyrical precision.

Wetsuit’s collaboration with producer Alex Farrar amplifies these textures, capturing a raw, immediate energy that recalls their live performances while layering in inventive musical flourishes. Whether through shimmering guitar washes, warm synth tones, or the subtle hiss of ambient noise, the album thrives in its small details, letting everyday life carry weight and resonance.

By the closing tracks 'Always Sunny' and 'The Fo'g, the album has guided us through sunlit Brooklyn summers, scrappy apartments, and private moments of reflection. 'Yarn for Future Scarves' is a living map of growth, gratitude, and the quiet beauty of claiming your own space. Wetsuit have not only deepened their sound since 'Sugar, I’m Tired', they’ve crafted a record that lingers, folding the past into the present with both sweetness and urgency.