Song of the Day: The Weather - 1983

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, is “1983” by The Weather from the forthcoming album Waters Electric.

The Weather - 1983 (MP3)

As The Weather, Mychal Cohen, Andrew Eckes, Aaron Huffman, and Jordan Butcher take the atmospheric songwriting skills they honed under the name Campfire OK and reconfigure them into vibrant, electric rock songs. Under their former guise, Cohen and the rest of the band crafted folk-based songs that deftly moved between the grandiose and the intimate, sharpening that craft across two albums, 2011's Strange Like We Are and 2013's When You Have Arrived. In late 2014, the band announced that the band's moniker would change to The Weather, attributing the name change to a change in style and sentiment in the band's music. "1983", the first single from the newly rechristened band, is a dense, layered pop gem. More neon-tinged and pop-incorporating than anything the band have done in the past, Cohen's sharp vocals bounce off crystalline guitars and synths, with all of the elements swirling into a powerful, echoing chorus that wouldn't have been out of place on the radio in the titular year. "1983" is not only a shimmering slice of electric pop that sounds great in any year, but also a resounding, brilliant reboot for the band.

The Weather don't have any tour dates lined up at the moment, but keep an eye on their Facebook and website for any news on shows or music. Below, watch the video for "1983".