By listening to Rec Room’s new self-titled release, one can just tell their music is a product of the environment they live in. Laden with lo-fi drums, tinkling pianos and guitar strums you’d only find in heaven, the album gives the sense this is the kind of music that plays in one’s head while staring at puddles during a rainstorm. But the record evolves similar to Bellingham’s weather, with a light-hearted jam peeking its head out from behind the clouds every once in a while, like the upbeat “Whatevers,” where Rec Room are joined by local colleagues The Educataz and Harass the Mic dropping back and forth verses laced with hope for a brighter day on a beat showcasing a triumphant ragtime piano loop and drums sounding like they were recorded in a cave… a really nice-sounding cave. The vocalist, Chris, has a consummate sense of rhythm in his delivery and his often abstract wordplay gives the listener some definite food for thought. Some may say “I can’t understand these guys,” and that’s fine. Imagery seems to be the major agenda within their music, and this record seems to be a strong argument for style in the ongoing style versus content debate. Unfortunately, another similarity the album shares with the weather is, it’ll leave some people asking “when is this going to end?” Clocking in at just under 70 minutes, it’s definitely a commitment to sit and listen to the entire record, but this is understandable as one gets the sense Rec Room is trying to showcase every aspect of their style and not just pigeonhole themselves into a signature sound. Like the weather, the mood and the vibes are ever-changing during this musical endeavor.