Dayglow glows in his recent album Fuzzybrain

Megan Dhillon and Amrita Himmatraopet|December 29, 2019

Cover of Dayglow’s debut album, “Fuzzybrain”

Sloan Struble, better known as Dayglow, released his album “Fuzzybrain”on Sept. 28, 2018, blending indie rock with nostalgic undertones and creating a pleasing retro aesthetic.

He then revisited his debut album and added two new singles, “Nicknames” and “Listerine” on Nov. 14 of this year. Struble quickly shot to fame, with over 1.6 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and 22 million listens to his most popular song, “Can I Call You Tonight?”.

The tracklist begins with “Can I Call You Tonight?,” with lyrics focusing on his thoughts and questions regarding the mysteries of life. In the song, he talks about figuring out if he likes someone as more than a friend or not. Echoey, upbeat, and atmospheric, the song quickly became a hit on platforms such as Tik Tok, used over twelve thousand times.

“Hot Rod,” the second song of the album, continues the effervescent feel. In this song, he emphasizes how he feels that his relationships always end in heartbreak. He sings, “I’m sorry for / Not wanting to be your décor / Truth is such a violent force, pushing you away”, explaining how he feels that he’s being used as a prop and not as a priority.

Mellow and wistful, the song “Fuzzybrain” is about an ex that put up a fake persona towards him. Struble talks about his insecurities and how he’s afraid to say what he thinks, with lyrics like, “The sun has been set for hours and she’s rising again / Scattered mind I call it a friend / I wish I thought a bit less and spoke up instead”. “Fuzzybrain” is dreamy and slow, contradistinctive to the other more sanguine, lively songs in the album.

“Junior Varsity” touches on the conflicting feelings of growing up. “Let’s celebrate we never make the team / We’re in the real world now not junior varsity” With a sad tinge, Struble talks about his past failures, but continues to look to the future rather than dwelling on the past.

Throughout the album, Struble follows the pattern of an instrumental beginning of about 20-30 seconds for many of his songs, with “Listerine” being no exception. “Listerine touches on the delicacy on new relationships, “Fifteen days that I spent / Finding out what you meant / Now we’re dancing again / Keeping time, she keeps my eyes awake” He focuses on the difference between this and his past relationships, realizing that time is slowly making their bond stronger.

A successful, well-sung album, “Fuzzybrain” deals with heartbreak, the loss and regaining of self confidence, and the complexity of one’s feelings. Struble pours his soul into “Fuzzybrain”, creating a mellow upbeat album that encompasses the feelings of young love and the pain of growing up.