A didgeridoo is not the first thing most people would expect when putting on an indie jam-band album, but for Witty Tarbox, it’s exactly the surprise they’re going for. Their new album, Midnight Sun, drops on April 1st, and brings the creativity from previous albums and turns it up to eleven.
Witty Tarbox released their first EP in 2018, titled, The Adventures of Schmity: Issue #1 V. Rare, and has since released two full length albums, Origins of Shmitty (2019) and Electric Flamingo (The Covid Tapes) (2025). Self-described as a mix between funk and surf-rock, both albums reveal a treasure chest of different sounds, and Midnight Sun is no different.
Opening with “Willy” the first instrument heard is not a guitar but in fact a didgeridoo. The tune soon turns into what resembles a folk hoe-down similar in style to Led Zeppelin’s “Bron-Y-Aur Stomp”. The clapping, acoustic guitar, jaw harp, and whistling make a fun song from start to finish, and it sets the tone of the bright sounding but darker lyric content of the rest of the album. We then move to “On the Hill” and the return of electric guitar and drumsets brings us back to the jam-band style Witty Tarbox is so good at. The song picks up as at the bridge, giving us a sax solo and more energetic drum part. “Preacherman” starts with the sound of a preacher, faking the listener out, expecting a slower, maybe darker sound only to be hit by a short, upbeat, and exciting tune showing off the band’s surf guitar style they love so much.
Now if you enjoyed that preview into their surf style, you’ll love the fourth track, “Bonzo”. The guitar and saxophone seem to talk to each other throughout the choruses, as the bass and drums drive the song forward. This track perfectly captures that 1960s surf culture sound and makes you want to get up and move. Following the action of “Bonzo”, the next track, “La Fiesta”, slows down for a latin twist. The short tune keeps the sound of the surf guitar, now working in tandem with latin sounding acoustic guitars and bringing us Spanish lyrics; making one feel like they’re sitting at a beach bar enjoying a margarita. To contrast the slower tune, “Colony” shows off the band’s punk chops with a driving guitar reminiscent of the band Misfits. The addition of the sax puts a neat twist on the style, and adds Witty Tarbox’s unique flavor. The seventh track, “Fentanyl Crawl” is almost entirely an instrumental, and gives the saxophone a chance to really show off. A jazz-rock vibe, this track keeps the energy of the previous song before moving to the end of the album. The final track, “Nowhere” is a perfect way to end the album, and brings a heavier, indie rock vibe that Witty Tarbox does so well. While the electric guitar and voice take the lead, a sneaky acoustic guitar creeps in the background, adding a light, sparkly layer that shimmers over the top of everything. Dropping the album title in the chorus, the song easily gets stuck in your head and feels like a warm hug.
This is such a unique album, I’m always a sucker for different styles being shown off
throughout an album and Witty Tarbox nailed this perfectly. There’s definitely something for
everyone here, and would make for what I can only imagine to be a fantastic live performance.
Witty Tarbox is Cody Tarbox, Alex Khoury, Colin Gray and Seth Byowski. Their third
album, Midnight Sun, drops April 1st. You can pre-save the album here, and find them on
bandcamp.
Midnight Sun
Willy
On The Hill
Preacherman
Bonzo
La Fiesta
Colony
Fentanyl Crawl
Nowhere
Give the band a follow:
https://www.facebook.com/wittytarboxband
https://www.instagram.com/witty_tarbox/
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