Harmony House is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter and producer Sloan Struble, under his stage name Dayglow. It was released on May 21, 2021, through Very Nice Records in partnership with AWAL.[5][a] Harmony House was announced in February 2021, following the re-release of Struble's debut album Fuzzybrain (2019) and the success of his single "Can I Call You Tonight?".
| Harmony House | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 21, 2021 | |||
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| Length | 34:24 | |||
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| Producer | Sloan Struble | |||
| Dayglow chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Harmony House | ||||
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Harmony House received generally favorable reviews from music critics. The album was supported by five singles, that "Close to You", "Something", "Woah Man", "Balcony", and "Medicine". After the release of the album, Struble headlined the Harmony House Tour.[7][8]
Background
editAfter the release of the extended version of Dayglow's debut album, Fuzzybrain, Struble planned to embark on a sold-out headlining show in early 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour was canceled and Struble isolated in his Austin residence.[9] In an interview with NME, Struble explained that the idea of Harmony House came from writing "[the] soundtrack for a sitcom that doesn't exist." Struble compared the feeling after the virality of the song, "Can I Call You Tonight?", as if he were living in the universe of the 1998 film The Truman Show.[10]
Composition and lyrics
editHarmony House has been described as an overall bedroom pop,[1] indie pop,[2] pop rock,[4] and alternative pop[3] record.
The first song, "Something" is a funk[11] song, with lyrics explaining the harsh separation between the digital world and reality.[12] The song contains a melody of notes that reoccurs throughout other songs on the album.[1] Describing "Balcony", Struble explained in a social media post how he set out to create a song that sounded similarly to the music of the Cure, Broncho, and the Mario Kart video-game soundtrack.[13][14] Driven by synths, a keyboard, and light trumpet, "December" describes seasonal depression, and a longing for life to get exciting again. One of the lyrics from the song comes from a poem which was a favorite of Struble's great-grandmother.[1][15] The album's lead single "Close to You" describes "the tension between two people at a party that never said hello."[16] "Crying on the Dancefloor" is song describing a party, while "Into Blue" is an introspective disco ballad describing the "after-party" of the previous song.[2][17][1]
"Moving Out" is an electric piano song inspired by the James Taylor album "That's Why I'm Here". Stating that it is "one of [his] favorite songs [he's] written so far," Struble describes Woah Man as "[letting] go of holding on."[2] Originally not intended to make it onto the album's tracklist, 'Strangers" is the vulnerable, somber "emotional climax" of the record, with Struble explaining "I want people to know that I go through hard stuff too, and life is like that sometimes."[2] In an album overview with Pilerats Sloan explains "Like Ivy" as the second part to "Strangers" and the "immediate closure following [the previous track]". Struble continues, "The first track on the record, Something, is like the essence of quickly rising to fame and feeling so overwhelmed by it. During the outro I say "It's taking time, it's taking time” over and over— like I can't even get the words out of what I'm trying to say. Like Ivy on the other hand though, is like the completion of the sentence."
Release and promotion
editOn January 11, 2021, Struble released the lead single from Harmony House, "Close to You".[18] The song reached a peak of 22 on Billboard's Alternative Airplay chart and 20 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart. Harmony House was officially announced on February 22 of the same year, alongside the release of the second single from the album, "Something". Before the album's release in May 2021, two more singles were released, "Woah Man" (released April 1)[19] and "Balcony" (released May 6).[13] On May 21, 2021, Harmony House was released alongside the music video for "Medicine", the fifth single from the album.[20]
"Close to You" was used in the eighth episode of the Netflix series Heartstopper and subsequently appeared on the Heartstopper: Official Mixtape released by Spotify.[21][22]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Album of the Year | 80/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Dork | 4/5 |
Harmony House received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Album of the Year, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 80, based on one review.[23]
Writing for Dork, Finlay Holden states "[Harmony House] push[es Struble's] production beyond the restraints of his charming yet confined origins," and that "[if]‘Fuzzybrain was the pinnacle of 2010s bedroom pop, ‘Harmony House’ is a masterful throwback to the cheese of 80s pop-rock that Dayglow somehow makes as culturally relevant and appealing as it's ever been."[24]
Track listing
editAll tracks written and produced by Sloan Struble.[25]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Something" | 1:54 |
| 2. | "Medicine" | 3:49 |
| 3. | "Balcony" | 2:31 |
| 4. | "December" | 3:11 |
| 5. | "Close to You" | 3:14 |
| 6. | "Crying on the Dancefloor" | 4:23 |
| 7. | "Into Blue" | 3:39 |
| 8. | "Moving Out" | 3:00 |
| 9. | "Woah Man" | 3:28 |
| 10. | "Strangers" | 2:52 |
| 11. | "Like Ivy" | 2:33 |
| Total length: | 34:24 | |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Dayglow builds a stylized, summer sanctuary on 'Harmony House'". RIFF Magazine. 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ a b c d e "Album Walkthrough: Texan force Dayglow breaks down his new record, Harmony House". PILERATS. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
- ^ a b "Dayglow Announces New Album 'Harmony House'". Clash Magazine. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
- ^ a b Holden, Finlay (2021-05-18). "Dayglow - Harmony House | Dork". Dork. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
- ^ Ackroyd, Stephen (22 February 2021). "Dayglow's new album 'Harmony House' is coming this May | Dork". Dork. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
- ^ "Dayglow Launches New Record Label, Very Nice Records - Foundations Music". foundationsmusic.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
- ^ "Dayglow | Music, tour dates, videos and more from Dayglow. Stream or download his second album, Harmony House, out now!". dayglowband.com. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ Leiber, Sarah Jae. "DAYGLOW Announces 2021 North American Tour Dates". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
- ^ Parreira, Amelia (5 August 2020). "Dayglow: From the bedroom studio to the 'sold-out tour that never existed'". RIFF Magazine. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- ^ "Dayglow's new album is what happens when bedroom pop leaves home". NME. 2021-05-19. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ Murray, Robin (22 February 2021). "Dayglow Announces New Album 'Harmony House'". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ "Dayglow Dances Around Letting Go on "Woah Man"". American Songwriter. 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ a b Leiber, Sarah Jae. "DAYGLOW Releases New Single 'Balcony'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- ^ "Dayglow shares new single 'Balcony'". Mystic Sons. 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
- ^ Stoltenborgh, Freek (2021-04-01). "Dayglow shares new song 'Woah Man'". www.v2benelux.com. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ^ "Dayglow Transports Us Back to the '80s with Danceable, Forlorn "Close to You"". Atwood Magazine. 2021-01-23. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ^ Staff, Taila Lee | Senior (2021-05-25). "Dayglow looks to horizon with bright, blossoming 'Harmony House'". The Daily Californian. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
- ^ "Dayglow's 'Close To You' Matches Pop Perfection To Nagging Melancholy". Clash Magazine. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ Jones, Abby (1 April 2021). "Dayglow Releases Feel-Good Groove "Whoa Man"". Popdust. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- ^ Stoltenborgh, Freek (21 May 2021). "Dayglow releases sophomore album 'Harmony House'". www.v2benelux.com. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- ^ "Heartstopper soundtrack: Every song in Netflix's LGBTQ+ drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- ^ Warner, Sam (2022-04-25). "'Heartstopper' soundtrack: every song played in the new Netflix drama". NME. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- ^ "Dayglow - Harmony House". Album of The Year. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ Holden, Finlay (18 May 2021). "Dayglow - Harmony House | Dork". Dork. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "Dayglow (2) – Harmony House". Discogs. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- ^ "Harmony House by Dayglow". Apple Music. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.