The Captain's Son's "Walking Around Purposely" is the Hangover You Want to Have

There’s a certain type of hangover you only get when you’re young. It’s the kind of hangover where you just need a few hours to chill in the morning, and then you’re completely prepared to party, play and drink some more. While your hangovers become more intense in your early twenties, there is one situation that this type of hangover lite can return, and that is when you’re on vacation, typically in a warm, tropical location. The Captain’s Son’s debut single “Walking Around Purposely” plays out like a hangover on vacation.

Listen: “Walking Around Purposely” – The Captain’s Son

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/301685481″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Where hangovers may seem like something to avoid, there is something undeniably fun about the hangovers you receive on vacation. They’re as much proof of the good time the night before as much as they’re an excuse to drink mimosas and bloody marys. The guitar riff that kicks off the song almost mimics being awakened by an alarm clock. Three muted strums wake the listener up, then there’s a (somewhat) panicked riff that slowly just gets set in a groove, once the song’s in motion. The opening is a mellow but cheery guitar riff, one you wouldn’t mind hearing after a night of heavy drinking. Even the lyrics seem to reflect this:

Sand in my shoes, and I don’t know what to do

Lead vocalist and guitarist, Paige Byrd is feeling sick in a strange place, but he’s still singing a positive melody. As the song picks up a little more momentum, the lyrics reflect making plans to seemingly go to the beach and let the sun cure the hangover.

Aches and pains will make the sunny days much more okay

The Captain's Son © 2017 — The Captain’s Son © 2017

Byrd’s guitar work here is what shines through the most. The bright, clean tone is the perfect narration for the sun glaring off of a clear ocean right before running in and splashing. Around the minute and a half mark, the tempo speeds up more, as if to suggest running into the waves, and Byrd’s vocals are much choppier, almost as if the boys are catching some waves and calling out to each other. He’s much more difficult to understand as he sings

You think you’re the only one

As the song ends, the tempo slows down just a bit under where the song began, and the vocals are much more like a drunken singalong, where The Captain’s Son plan on doing the exact same thing tomorrow. The Captain’s Son definitely have a much brighter disposition than their contemporaries that borrow the sounds of 60’s pop-rock. Where artists like Foxygen and Tame Impala focus more on the psychedelic elements of much of the music of that era, The Captain’s Son are much more interested in the likes of the Beach Boys and their surf rock. The sunny disposition is certainly a nice touch and a must-listen for those seeking some warm weather and the beachy sounds to accompany it.

— — — —