The World Famous make a grab for pop-rock’s brass ring with their sweetly scrappy debut album Totally Famous — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Visiting a psychic on the side of the highway. Pawning a guitar for beer and gas money, over and over again. Aging into your 30s and acknowledging slyly all those you’ve left behind — and those who’ve left you behind, too. On their new album, totally famous, L.A.’s The World Famous wade through a few hardships, but acknowledges winkingly that things aren’t as bad as they might seem — perhaps they never are.
The World Famous are essentially a Boston transplant: Most band members, including singer Will Harris, are originally from Massachusetts. Their sound feels at home enough in sunny California, calling back to bygone Weezer, but nonetheless feels thematically grounded in their native East Coast, often looking playfully askance at L.A. as they mine truth from the SoCal stereotypes we all know and love.
It’s sentimental but layered; complex but unassuming. In the powered melodic voicings, strong hooks, and rousing triple guitars, there’s gold to be found for those who listen for it. The World Famous’s strengths lie in their capacity to balance playful indulgence with a sort of reflexive kindness, and Harris’s lyrics remain focused on the good days while he flips through the bad ones with the ease of thumbing through a comic book on a sunny day.
Listen to Totally Famous below and follow The World Famous on Instagram.
