Judging from the title alone, “Watch Us Explode” should be a perfect Spree song. What makes them unique is how powerful the explosion is, hearing 25 people playing and singing at the same time is an awe inspiring experience, you can hear it on songs like “We Sound Amazed” from Heavy and on their biggest hit “Light and Day.” Of all the songs on this album, this and “Running Away” are probably the most comprehensive in terms of demonstrating what the Spree can do. Countless instruments are buzzing in the background, and it’s fantastic when the choir comes in to back Tim on the chorus.

“Overblow Your Nest” hits the same mood as “One Man Show” and “Suitcase Calling” from Heavy, starting with just one vocalist and a sad mood, then gradually building to a powerful, mournful chorus. It’s not that groundbreaking, but that chorus is just emotionally overwhelming, a reaching, pleading feeling. This is another one I’m really eager to see live, that explosion at the end of the song is phenomenal.

“The Championship” is a suitably triumphant closer, with a lot of building rhythm and shifting emotion across the length of the song. The drums on this song are the highlight, bouncing back and forth, then going heavier on the “Raise our voice” part of the song. This is a great track, my only complaint is that it fades out too soon, the “Raise our voice” refrain is echoing, with instrumental embellishment on top. This could go on for a good minute or two, but the volume just goes down. I would have loved to hear more. But, that’s just as much a compliment about the song as it it’s a criticism.

Ultimately, what makes the band so powerful for me is the emotion of the music they create. It’s happy and joyous in a completely unironic way, and you just don’t hear that much today. People talk about how they’re a cult or a relic of sixties culture, but I just don’t see that. Listen to the album and get wrapped up in what they’re doing, creating energetic exciting music that has an infectious joy. I think this album stands with their best work, and will be high on my top ten list come year’s end.