necessity is the mother of invention. it is easy to break Addy Edward’s musical output into two distinct creative profiles: before and after the live shows. when Addy was creating music alone in his basement, the results were a post-genre, maximalist electropop. and since he’s been playing live more often (either solo or as the drummer/bassist of Daniprobably), his music has changed! his knack for hooks, his warm tones — those are all still there. even the layered production is still there, but what has changed is the skeleton / foundation. these songs feel like they were conceived for a live setting. there’s no way that Addy would be able to replicate his first album, Picture of Youth, on stage without a full-fledged pop ensemble backing him up. his recent songs, like the excellent “Barking Answers”, feel like a direct response to that. this need to perform these songs has pushed Edward into a new creative direction. the question is no longer “how can I scale this down?”, but “how can I expand this out?” the answer involves an acoustic guitar and an incredibly creative and fun use of looping.
Addy Edward’s new song, “Daybreak Eyes”, will be instantly recognizable to anyone who has seen his live show this year. the song’s insistent rhythm pushes forward, and as it does, Edward includes new layers of guitar and vocals. by the end, the song is a big rushing wave, and it is carrying you away, but you’re not scared — no, you are content, and for just a brief moment, you feel how both you and the wave that is carrying you are made of the same material, and that makes you feel so big but also so very small, and the feeling of smallness isn’t a scary one, but a wondrous one because you can see how important every single thing is. the song is a bright sun between branches of trees. an old photograph of your parents that looks just like you. a cool lapping of salt-water on your cheek.
well, that’s how “Daybreak Eyes” makes me feel. check it out below and let me know how it makes you feel.
