2ND GRADE - Wish You Were Here Tour Revisited LP (colour vinyl)

Limited edition red colour vinyl.

Highly recommended.

2nd Grade’s clever and fun replacement for a routine debut reissue after the Philadelphia act dropped their excellent sophomore record Hit to Hit. Hit to Hit was a bright and fresh collection of quick and sharp little pop rock songs, the sound of songwriter Peter Gill continually turning the dial on some sort of magic radio that pushed sunny power pop from every station. It was immediately gratifying and instantly lovable, and maybe because of that the band hasn’t really gotten the lasting attention they deserve in the long term. 

Wish You Were Here Tour Revisited is a welcome reminder that the band has a lot to give, combining the original 14 songs from the band’s 2018 debut Wish You Were Here Tour with new versions of 8 of the tracks. The distinction between the two is worthwhile and notable—when the original album was released, 2nd Grade was mostly a solo act and the songs are noticeably sparser and lower-key than those on Hit to Hit. The original album is full of breezy, floating songs that feel a lot smaller and more isolated than the agile full-band follow-up. 

So the re-imagined versions of the songs pull some of Gill’s lonelier compositions into the shinier, flashier full-band world. “Favorite Song” transforms from a nostalgic gazing-out-the-window ode to a splashy rocker. “Kick in the Head” sheds some of its ‘60s pop softness and turns up the pep. “As Long As We Can Talk About It” emerges into crystal hi-fi clarity, shambling Beat Happening guitars breaking apart into shimmering and dramatic acoustic plucks.