Proximity is a catchy new tune from Scottish indie-pop fuzz merchants Dayydream. Equal parts dreamy and dirty, it’s about heartbreak and the aftermath of the end of a romantic relationship.
It begins innocuously enough – with Death Cab or American Football vibes to the instrumentation – it’s sweet and well-defined at first, but it gradually deteriorates into a mélange of distortion and vitriol.
Morphing, around two-thirds of the way through, into something that has more in common with DIIV, My Bloody Valentine, and Slowdive – it’s all a bit Jekyll & Hyde. The song does a complete 180 and goes from day to night. But – quite critically – both yin and yang are as enjoyable as each other, for very different reasons. The percussion stays the same, which links the parts together nicely, but the guitars grow and grow – infinitely swelling – it feels as if you could be engulfed by them.
Throughout the course of the song, no matter what arena it’s operating in, the band’s influences are there to be heard – and they’re used extremely well. Elements of The Sundays, Dinosaur Jr, Elliott Smith/Heatmiser, Low, Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Wednesday, and many more blend tastefully together and make something new. And it’s a thing of real beauty.
Proximity is taken from the band’s forthcoming EP “Trace,” which they will be performing in full at Glasgow’s The Hug and Pint on March 15 and London’s The Strongroom on April 24, 2026.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
