Dayydream claim their place on the Glasgow indie scene map with new single ‘Fucked Up’
SINGLE REVIEW | DAYYDREAM – FUCKED UP by Martha Munro
In Glasgow, you’re never two pub gigs away from an eager indie band trying to make a name for themselves. But in that sea of hungry hopefuls, how can a group be sure to stand out?
Dayydream seem to have that covered; with the immensely talented singer-songwriter Chloe Trappes fronting the band, as well as Loup Havenith on the drums, Samuel Rafanell-Williams on lead guitar, and Dillon Salvi on bass, this shoegaze, softcore, Mazzy-Star-inspired indie-rock group are spreading their name and dreamy sound all across Scotland.
This slow, syrupy single, Fucked Up, was released 17th January under the Glasgwegian collective label No Soap, who are slowly but surely growing in numbers and talents by putting inspired indie names like Dayydream on the map.
From the first few reverb-rife bars, the vision behind the track becomes clear: an achingly heartfelt, sorrowfully soothing single to give every listener that in-the-room music experience in their headphones. With hazy, disjointed guitar strums and Chloe Trappes’ enchanting initial vocals, a basic introduction forms. The phrase ‘simple but effective’ has never been more apt; as Rafanell-Williams filters in with the guitar-led chord progression, joined by a drip-feeding drum beat from Havenith, the soundscape builds up into the song’s slow-and-steady foundation, shaped by Trappes’ emotive voice, is reminiscent of Ellie Rowsell of Wolf Alice.
Equally emotive are her lyrics, which strike a perfect balance between poetic and conversational – something that many industry-established singer-songwriters never achieve: ‘And I overthought it all so much / That I could tell you a million / Different endings to this story / But it wouldn’t do anything.’
Behind the vocals and their reverb, the instrumental elements of the track are equally integral, if not moreso. The running counter-melody, played on the guitar, brings the song’s dreamscape to life, adding texture and a laid-back, easy personality, not to mention the grounding bass, which shows its stunning face throughout the song. The real expertise here is certainly in Dayydream’s manipulation of dynamics; they heighten the anticipation by building up all the elements before pulling them back last minute, not sharply, but subtly, giving the song its own breath. Compositionally, not much changes throughout the song, but it’s this dynamic mastery that keeps the track from becoming boring and strengthens that Mazzy Star style.
Above all, the song is a heart-wrencher, enveloping the listener in a harmonic, cohesive, musical embodiment of heartbreak. The whole track has an immersive live quality, which is by no means down to any messiness or lack of studio precision, but is instead a product of Fucked Up’s – and lyricist Chloe Trappes’ – unfailing authenticity.
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