Rainbow Girls – Welcome to Whatever
Rainbow Girls aren’t a band to do things traditionally. The Northern California trio of Erin Chapin, Caitlin Gowdey and Vanessa May made a habit of live streaming every Monday afternoon – pre-pandemic, mind you – and committed to releasing singles from their new album on Mondays as well. Fully committing to the bit, that LP – Welcome to Whatever, a largely crowd-funded effort – comes out on a December Monday, and this slice of folky jangle reminds us – again – to not sleep in twelfth month releases.
Welcome To Whatever leads off with the astringent “Compassion to the Nth Degree,letting you know right where the bad stands with its first lines – “I love you like I love white supremacists/And people who still steal from small businesses.” Set against a simmering wash of guitars the tune is a cataloging of the things that we all have to fake our way through in order to stay somewhat sane – “A smile faked for comfort’s sake.” The downbeat “Meet You at the Gate” focuses on the fallout from a relationship where the long lasting damage is just now becoming evident – “I was listening to your song/The one about love and stuff/And I was wondering who you were singing about/Sounded like it ended pretty rough.”
“No Limits,” spiced up with horns and featuring The California Honeydrops, deals with not only accepting one’s identity but reveling in diversity – “Why would I wanna be just white anyway/White keys alone, they’re just gonna limit your play.” And while tunes like “City Slickers” are absolute rockers, the quieter moments on Welcome to Whatever are its most memorable.. “Unwavering,” with strummed electric and gorgeous harmonies, finds its narrator attempting everything possible to avoid sliding back into a bad relationship – “And you said “eventually love ruins everything/I just wish my attitude was unwavering…I’m wavering.” The largely acoustic slowburn “Bedtoom Lobby” is gorgeously full of regret – “We said we wouldn’t fall in love/But you stuck around/And I fucked up.” And the album ends as it begins – with a splash of social consciousness. Harmonies shine again on “Patriotism Killed the Cat” as the band counters the myth of American exceptionalism – “We’re so proud of being dumb/Waving flags and dragging ass.” Rainbow Girls aren’t interested in empty sloganeering – “All good things will end/If we keep trying to win.” But they would like to be in charge of Mondays, and I’m inclined to let them..
Go here to order Welcome To Whatever (out now): https://www.rainbowgirlsmusic.com/shop
Check out tour dates here: https://www.rainbowgirlsmusic.com/shows
Recorded by Jonathan Kirchner at Windy Bitches in Bodega, CA; mixed by Cian Riordan and
mastered by JJ Golden with additional recording by Matt McDavid at Sanctuary Sound & Joey Lynch at Strange Manor and mixing by Jacob LaCally.
All songs written by Rainbow Girls: Erin Chapin, Caitlin Gowdey, & Vanessa May
The Rainbow Girls are Erin Chapin and Caitlin Gowdey on electric guitar and vocals, and Vanessa May on bass and vocals. Further musicians on the album are Dan Schwartz, Matt Goff and Beau Bradbury on drums, Jeremy Lyon on electric guitar; Lorenzo Loera on organ, bass, and vocals; Johnny Bones on saxophone; Oliver Tuttle on trombone; Ben Berry on upright bass; and Zachary Thorne on trumpet.