Diandra Reviews It All

Day Wave lives up to his name in his debut album The Days We Had. When you think of a “day wave”, you imagine a an oscillation of bright, sunny energy washing over you. It just appears like the title of a something or someone who understands how to make the beauty of life feel like just a drive away. It could be why The Days We Had is an album to put in the car, press play, and drive without plans: just desire.

It makes sense that Day Wave’s debut would have such a California, beach vibe as the young man, real name Jackson Phillips, skipped the city of Angels and trekked north to the Bay Area. You literally feel in tracks “Bloom”, “Something Here”, and “Promises” like you are driving down the road to a new place, a new dream, and, hopefully, a better outlook. What makes Day Waves’ album so thematically exciting and relevant is that it strikes up that youthful hope and the initial dreaminess you get when you are about to make a “fresh, big” move. It is as if The Days We Had is a new home, you are driving towards, and songs “Untitled”, “Home”, and “On Your Side” are the boxes you have packed to remind yourself what you need to bring and what you will gain. Yes, I know I am packing on the imagery for this visionary debut, but I am doing this because it is an image that fits and should be applauded. Day Wave has bottled excitement, and released it unto every guitar chord or rolling set of synths like one would release a genie for wishes; you just relish the idea that things can get better or maybe have already. Still, Day Wave is not the first musician to go with synth-pop sounds that vibe in positivity and pulsing melodies. So what distinguishes him?

Trained in Berklee School Of Music, Day Wave has a studiousness to his style. It is as if every note he places to paper and then to instrument was surgically plucked and plotted. For however easygoing songs like “I’m Still Here” and “Ordinary” appear, there is an overarching sense that a lot of thought went into this debut, especially in giving it a motion of true optimism. Day Wave’s voice is so subtle and succinct that it almost sounds like an another instrument in his composition. He approaches his vocals as if they are another color in the painting of his song; not the painting itself, which is a lovely, successful idea. Part of why this album can go on repeat is that it makes feeling good feel effortless. For More Information On Day Wave And To Buy The Days We Had On May 5 Click Here.