Reviewed by: Karina Abbott
Rating: 7/10
Day Wave consists only of musician Jackson Philips. Philips, from Oakland California, attended Berkley College of Music before moving back to California to pursue his music career. Both of his EPs are self-released, something that he felt was important; he wanted his music to be out in the world without the pressure of a record company. So far his plan has worked marvelously, with both EPs making an impact on their own. “Headcase” was released July 2015, and featured five soft indie rock songs that each hold their own ground on the EP. Philip’s sophomore EP “Hard to Read” was just released on March 4th this year, and though it sounds similar to the first EP, it is no less brilliant. “Hard to Read” consists of five more indie rock tracks, but I think these have a bit more edge to them than the first EP. “Hard to Read”, the title track, depends more on the guitar and drum beats than any other song, but has hazy vocals like many of the other tracks. The lyrics on both of these EPs are, not heavy per say, but definitely carry more weight than the average Katy Perry song. My favorite songs were “Drag” and “Stuck”, both are softer tracks with a solid rhythm to them and melancholy lyrics. Overall these collections of songs are great and I recommend them to anyone who is a fan of indie/ambient rock music.
FCC Violations: 1
RIYL: Carousel, New Order, Oh Wonder
Favorite Tracks: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10
