Autocamper: What Do You Do All Day? [Album Review]

Autocamper
What Do You Do All Day?
Safe Surburban Home/Slumberland Records [2025]

“A quietly addictive debut full of jangle, charm, and emotional clarity.”

Album Overview: Hailing from Manchester, Autocamper formed with the goal of dodging the city’s tired rock clichés. Fronted by Jack Harkins and Niamh Purtill—who split vocal duties and bring a natural contrast in tone—the band also features Harry Williams on bass and Arthur Robinson on drums. Starting in DIY spaces and home-recording setups, they’ve taken a big step forward with their full-length debut, What Do You Do All Day?

The record ditches the band’s earlier lo-fi aesthetic but keeps all the charm. Built around small moments—shared flats, fading friendships, awkward confessions—these songs are handled with care. The Harkins-Purtill vocal interplay adds a conversational push-and-pull that gives each track its own vibe. The album feels personal without being self-indulgent, and breezy without ever sounding lightweight. It’s the kind of record that quietly sneaks into your daily rotation—and stays there.

Musical Style: Autocamper leans into jangly pop textures—clean, chiming guitars, soft keyboard touches, and melodic basslines—all supported by rhythm patterns that borrow from ’60s sunshine pop and ’80s indie’s undercurrent. Their arrangements are understated, letting melody and mood breathe naturally. There’s a looseness to the playing that keeps things feeling lived-in and spontaneous—like a friend making you a mix with hand-drawn liner notes.

Evolution of Sound: What began in bedrooms now blooms in full color. What Do You Do All Day? marks a shift toward something more expansive, thanks in part to producer Chris McCory at Green Door Studio. The songwriting is sharper, the instrumentation fuller, and the pacing more assured. They’ve clearly grown, but haven’t lost the spark that got them here—the result is a tighter, richer version of themselves.

Artists with Similar Fire: Autocamper’s sound will strike a chord with anyone drawn to the melodic looseness of The Pastels or the conversational delivery of Beat Happening. There’s a clear kinship with The Vaselines and The Ocean Blue, where pop simplicity meets subtle emotional weight. If you’re into the off-kilter charm of The Feelies or the bright-eyed jangle of early Orange Juice, you’ll hear echoes here too. Their use of keys and soft textures occasionally recalls The Proper Ornaments, while deeper listeners might catch a shimmer of The Field Mice or even a wink at sunshine pop greats like The Millennium and The Left Banke. What ties it all together is Autocamper’s ability to blend sincerity with breezy pop instincts—without ever sounding like they’re trying too hard.

Pivotal Tracks: “Red Flowers” is a standout—a hushed, melancholic reflection on feeling like an extra in someone else’s story. Purtill’s vocal lead and the delicate flute line give it a beautifully somber air. “Proper” flips the mood entirely with a breezy, sing-along hook and a dash of vintage bubblegum joy. “Map Like a Leaf” slows things down, adding subtle textures courtesy of guest Tom Crossley, while “Dogsitting” highlights Purtill’s offbeat keys and quiet introspection with just the right amount of quirk.

Lyrical Strength: Autocamper specializes in making the mundane feel meaningful. Their lyrics dig into minor emotional shifts—feeling out of place, overthinking a conversation, or holding onto fleeting joy—with a tone that’s conversational and unforced. Harkins and Purtill don’t try to over-explain; instead, they trust everyday phrasing to carry the weight, which makes the emotional punch land even harder.

Final Groove: What Do You Do All Day? doesn’t shout for attention—it earns it by being consistently thoughtful, tuneful, and quietly addictive. It captures the in-between spaces of life with warmth and honesty, all wrapped in melodies that stick without wearing out their welcome. Autocamper may be at the start of their story, but this debut shows they already know exactly who they are. If this is their first proper outing, we can’t wait to hear where they go next.

AUTOCAMPER LINKS
Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Safe Suburban Home Records | Slumberland Records