Some Days is a hallucination-filled foray through bedroom pop, psychedelic groove, and indie-funk, with a righteous dream-soaked loop-pedal as your trip sitter.
The last time it felt right and sincere to listen to happy music was… well, it feels like a lifetime ago. Not just because of the pandemic, but with the general state of the world it deems appropriate to listen to sad sacks of shit moan about some generic pain. It’s easy and comforting to be trapped under the duvet of emotional strife.
But, every once in a while, some music comes that shatters your cold isolation. An album that rips the covers off and brings you out into a world where you can once again feel the sun and actually enjoy any remnants of a ‘happy’ world. For me, that album is Some Days by JayWood.
Some Days is a hallucination-filled foray through bedroom pop, psychedelic groove, and indie-funk, with a righteous dream-soaked loop-pedal as your trip sitter. It’s upbeat and doesn’t stop for anyone. Some Days is an addictive EP that carries an all-too-short runtime; I can’t remember the last time I listened to an EP so religiously.
JayWood is known for his goofy and laid-back approach to making music. His 2019 debut, Time, contains humorous skits as a way to comment on the commercialization of corporate radio. That same life and energy is found all over Some Days. The title track is a dream-pop testament to growth and hope for a brighter future. “Someday, I hope to help lives / I want to hold anyone who can’t find the light,” he sings with a contemplative tone stacked underneath tight drums and his definitive guitar loops.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “How is this your happy album that brings you joy? Those lyrics sound sad AF.” Ya… your right. A lot of the EP’s lyrics are mournful, and JayWood consistently sounds bereaved about past faults. “When it’s cold outside, the wind pushes and pulls / I thought I said too much, I wish I could start anew,” sings JayWood on “Dreams,” the most melancholy track by far. Even though the cello is eye-rolling and cliche, it ups the sadness factor to 11 and creates a nice contemplative intermission in the EP otherwise so upbeat and often optimistic.
The standout track is unquestionably “What You Do To Me.” Fitting a call-and-response of sorts into the melody, JayWood creates a groovy sprawl reminiscent of James Brown. It’s captivating and feels like an honest-to-god house party.
So my advice to you is to get outside and enter into the warm embrace of the sun. Go for a walk, ride a bike, or wheel around and crunch Some Days into your headphones. It’s the kind of EP that changes your mood and gives the spirit some much-needed emotional rejuvenation.
