The new Gwynn Davies project starts on a particularly sombre note. The standout lyrics of the first track – Dark Days & The Ripples In Between – are “in my dreams you die”. Particularly morose moments here are mentions of a car crash, not being able to move forward and not doing better. It’s all very negative, and the lo-fi acoustic nature of the song lends it an intimacy that feels decidedly confessional – like Davies is recording his deepest, darkest catastrophisations and we’re peeking into his audio journal – and it’s soul-baring and heart-crushing. As the song concludes, the car crash is alluded to again as the Canadian songwriter laments “it’s a nice night for a drive” – this feels particularly tragic as it comes across as an insight into the psyche of someone who is yet to realise that they’ll soon meet their end. We’re reminded of the everlasting anthem of misery that is The Smiths There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. The artist describes this track as “a commitment to continue the daily battle to wrench oneself from the pit of despair.” There is undeniable beauty in the struggle of life, but it can certainly be a challenge to stick around and search for it.
The next song is, interestingly, an instrumental introduction to the song that follows it. The 45-second intro is traditionally recorded and is of crystalline, clear-as-day quality. The song itself then reverts to the lo-fi style as heard in the first track. A curious stylistic choice – but it works. Corporate America is a song about the myth of the American Dream, the fairytale of the Nuclear Family. It’s a tongue-in-cheek assessment of what constitutes success and is full of cliché examples of what these are. “House on the hill / diamonds for the trophy wife / three car garage / tuck the kids in at night” – the only thing missing is the white picket fence. He then spends a bit of time going over his many and varied investments – and they’re all very impressive(!) It’s a clearly satirical look at the continuing – but obviously quite archaic – way of how some of us measure ourselves and compare ourselves to our peers. There’s more to life than the FTSE 100, folks.
Water Falls feels a bit like a combination of early Death Cab for Cutie and the Oasis classic Talk Tonight. There are minimal words here, but what it lacks in lyricism it makes up for in atmosphere. Shimmering and trebly, the ethereal acoustic guitar is the undisputed star of the show. The structure of the song serves as a pedestal for Davies’ skill; the music is emotive and haunting without being at all flashy. It’s amazing what can be done with so little.
Terminal Velocity On Saturday, is basically an ode to chilling. A pleasant break from the overall tone of the release, it centres around not doing much at all and indulging in the leisure that the weekend generally affords us. “Saturday, I like to do nothing” goes the chorus – don’t we all?! There are references to movies, ice cream and drinking wine and all in all, it’s a cute, whimsical bit of levity and a bit of a ray of sunlight breaking through the fog of despair that has been prevalent throughout the rest of the record. We must admit, we didn’t see it coming. Described by Davies as “a temporary and lighthearted escape from reality with themes of pleasure and few cares”. It’s the stuff that dreams are made of.
The Insomniac is another tune with a separate intro. This time, the introduction is rawer and the song itself more polished, but both are still very minimal – just vocal and acoustic guitar – like the rest of the record. Reminiscent of Drive by Incubus with a melody that – in places – seems to recall something by Metallica (Nothing Else Matters, maybe?), It’s potentially the strongest songwriting here. The chorus is incredibly catchy and sounds like it could be a hit if recorded “properly” – i.e. with the intention of recording a hit. However, as mentioned earlier, this feels like a project recorded for the artist. Extremely vulnerable and exposed, this feels like it was written and recorded because it had to be. As we’re sure is the case for many musicians.
“Unabridged” versions of Corporate America and The Insomniac follow. This version of Corporate America is essentially a “cleaner” take of the same song from earlier on, with the overall quality of the whole thing the same as the intro we heard earlier. The Insomniac is, seemingly, the intro and the main part of the song combined into one whole piece.
The album acts as a showcase of Davies’ distinctive style and artistic individuality. Brimming with emotion and struggle, it connects with the listener on an identifiable level despite being obviously overtly personal.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
