There’s something really interesting happening on Safe Travels, the 2026 album from Backyard Apologies. It’s a rough, loose collection of indie rock that draws on garage rock, slacker rock, and the noisier side of the 90s alternative scene. But what makes it stand out is the band’s willingness to take songs in unexpected directions. These aren’t necessarily built around familiar verse-chorus-bridge structures. Instead, they often feel free-flowing, moving between different sounds, tempos, and moods as the band follows an idea wherever it takes them.
That looseness gives the album something of a demo-like quality, but not because the production is particularly poor. It’s more about the way the music is put together. There’s a raw, unpolished quality to the performances, but underneath it is some genuinely impressive musicianship.
The guitar parts are particularly interesting, often weaving around one another like threads on a loom, creating a layered musical tapestry. The drumming is another highlight, bringing plenty of energy and personality to the arrangements. The vocals have a strained, yearning quality, somewhere in the neighborhood of emo-punk, without quite tipping into screaming.
The opening track, “Michael Scott’s Tots,” is a good introduction to the band’s approach. The title offers a humorous nod to one of the most cringe-inducing episodes of The Office, but the song itself seems to be about trying to reach someone who has put up emotional walls. Musically, it moves between raucous indie rock and more introspective passages, eventually opening up into some beautiful layers of guitar.
“Not About Shoes” takes things on another winding journey, moving through different flavors of garage rock and indie rock. The intricate guitar work and shifting arrangements make it one of the album’s highlights.
“Changes” is probably the most immediately accessible song here. Its bright guitar riff and driving drums give the opening and closing sections something of a radio-hit quality, even if that’s not exactly what the band seems to be going for. In between, the song slows down into a quieter passage with almost spoken-word vocals over soft guitar strumming, suggesting a relationship coming apart. It’s a great example of the band’s ability to combine catchy melodies with unexpected structural changes.
That sense of unpredictability continues on “Safe Travels (Farewell Song),” with its bright guitar tones rising and falling in almost roller-coaster fashion. There’s an almost electronic quality to some of the sounds, while the energetic drumming gives the song plenty of movement. “Summer Crisis” is another showcase for the musicianship, opening with an extended instrumental passage before shifting into a melodic vocal section and eventually breaking into something louder and more aggressive.
“We All Gotta Grow Up at Some Point” takes a different route, beginning with almost jazzy drumming and gradually building as the other instruments join in. Both tracks are fun examples of how much ground the band can cover within a single song.
What makes Safe Travels a fun album to check in on is that it’s more than just a collection of loose, noisy experiments. The songs have melodies, memorable guitar parts, and plenty of thoughtful musical ideas. Sometimes the constant changes can leave you a little off balance, but there’s a real sense of discovery in listening to the album, as though the band is exploring all the different things a rock song can be without worrying too much about convention.
Verdict: Worth a Spin
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