WPO is Blissing Out This Summer, and So Should You
After two pretty cautious summers, the summer of 2022 is flowing in waves more euphoric and carefree than ever. From the novel pleasure of inviting a stranger over to make out, to entertaining daydreams of boundless adventure aboard a seafaring rocketship, WPO is riding the pure and ecstatic joy of the summer of 2022 with “Sails Up.” It is by far the band’s poppiest release to date and an intriguing effort to make 19th century brass and percussion instruments rival the technological wizardry of modern pop production.
“Sails Up” features the vocals of Hayley Varhol, a longtime member of WPO’s low brass section. Hayley’s voice slides and swivels over bopping brass and percussion like a sleek schooner cutting through choppy seas. Adam Hershberger’s teasing trumpet solo has him leaning back over the bow of the ship, at the cusp of losing his balance. With influences as disparate as reggae and Balkan brass, Gregg Mervine’s beats and melodies draw listeners toward shores beyond the horizon. Pour a cold drink, crank up the stereo, and ask yourself “where are we gonna go?”
lyrics
Saw you starin’ now I’m darin’ you to be brave
Show me you can dance, show me you can misbehave
How about we scrabble back at my place
Feel the bliss, leave a kiss where my fingers trace
Caught a vibe the first time I looked at you
Got me thinking about places we could go.
So, where you wanna go?
Yeah, where we gonna go?
Sails up! We gonna drift tonight
Warm breeze, the air is trembling right
Where the wind blows, baby, I will follow
Anchors up into the air
No sign of shoreline anywhere
And we’re out too far to care!
Take my word (hey) I ain’t here to mess around
If I’m in for a penny I’m in for a pound
Lock it in now we’re shaking like we’re starbound
Feeling free, zero G, as we leave the ground
Caught a vibe the first time I looked at you
Got me thinking about places we could go.
So where you wanna go?
Yeah, where we gonna go?
Sails up! We gonna drift tonight
Warm breeze, the air is trembling right
Where the wind blows, baby, I will follow
Anchors up into the air
No sign of shoreline anywhere
We’re out too far to care
credits
from WPO Singles 2019-2022,
track released June 30, 2022
Music: Gregg Mervine
Lyrics: Gregg Mervine, Hayley Varhol, Petia Zamfirova
Hayley Varhol - voice
Adam Hershberger - solo trumpet
Dawn Webster and Daniel Stern - trumpets
David Fishkin, Elliott Levin and Larry Goldfinger - reeds
Hayley Varhol, Larry Toft and Frank Rein - low brass
Gregg Mervine, Chad Brown, Elliot Beck - drums
West Philadelphia OrchestraPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
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