Weedipus: Weedipus
(self-released)
CD/ DL / Streaming
Released February 27th 2026
Weedipus release an album full of infectious dream pop melodies and hazy alt-rock. Andy Brown reviews the band’s debut for Louder Than War.
Weedipus first emerged in the midst of that unforgettably strange time known as 2020. Originally a duo comprising of housemates Olivia Thawley and Zach Duvall, the group released two tantalising ‘demo tapes’ full of hazy harmonies and lo-fi guitars. It’s taken the band a hot minute to produce a full-length debut yet they’ve now delivered a release that effortlessly builds on all the youthful dream pop of those initial EPs. While not straying too far from that early blueprint, this 37-minute offering is the sound of a band really stepping inside their sound.
Happy You Called feels like the perfect way to introduce these Barnsley-based daydreamers to the world. “I will always be there for you/ Happy that you called,” swoons Thawley as the unabashedly catchy chorus kicks in. It’s a moment of irresistible, dream pop brilliance. The guitars are reassuringly fuzz-laden yet the production embraces the bands pop-inclinations with a crisp, clear sound. It’s punchy and immediate in a way that feels primed for the radio; the kind of track that would provide a much-needed rush of serotonin to some unsuspecting listener.
While the band are clearly indebted to 90s dream pop and shoegaze, the album feels unquestionably fresh. Whack it on your headphones for a near-instantaneous boost. Yes, it’s only February but we may very well be looking at an early contender for the feel good – and yes, slightly melancholic – hit of the summer. The tunes come thick and fast, with unimpeachable earworms like Would Be Nice and Young. “We are so young/ Take it and run,” sings Thawley as another hair-raisingly effective chorus takes flight.
While Thawley and Duvall have clearly taken things up a notch when it comes to songwriting, it’s the energy and tone that they’ve captured here that really does those songs justice. Drummer Andrey Pavlovic nails each and every tune while the layers of guitars and synths are endlessly satisfying. Just listen as that lead guitar leaps from the mix on Bruise My Bones. In fact, the guitars across the album just about turn my poor unsuspecting brain into a mushy ball of pure, unadulterated dopamine. You can’t ask for more than that, can you?
My highlights change with each listen but I’m currently partial to the emotive and atmospheric charms of Either Way Very Strange. “Every time I try to explain…You shut me up” calls a voice from the mist of some lucid psych pop anxiety dream. Much like the songwriting and instrumentation, Thawley’s voice really has come into its own. That track would be a strong contender for my favourite on the album if it wasn’t for one last trick up the band’s sleeve.
Money Bags completely pulls the rug from under our feet with a sublime, slow burning and decidedly psychedelic ballad. Sparse keys and gorgeous harmonies collide with sudden waves of unexpectedly heavy, brain-scrambling guitar. An emotional and utterly spine-tingling way to bring the album to a close. From the initial lure of the hooks and harmonies to the immersive thrills that lie beneath, Weedipus have created a thoroughly infectious dream pop debut.
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You can find Weedipus on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Bandcamp.
All words by Andy Brown. You can visit his author profile and read more of his reviews for Louder Than War HERE.
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