Del Water Gap’s newest album, “I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet,” is a portrait of love, loss and learning to reconcile the two. Yet, its pessimism does not hinder the incorporation of funky, energetic pop that he is known and loved for.
The singer-songwriter Samuel Holden Jaffe, stage name Del Water Gap, gained prominence with the lovestruck “Ode To a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat.” His subsequent self-titled LP unforgettably illustrates the hopeful uncertainty of a fresh relationship. Now the 29-year-old New York-based musician is back with his sophomore album, released Friday. However, while the artist’s first album was a sweet detailing of crushes and romance, his latest album recounts the opposite: he’s heartbroken.
According to a cryptic biography on his website, the artist is inspired by “romantic encounters and dimly lit rooms.” While it’s a strange description, it accurately sums up Del Water Gap’s spellbinding, seductive lyrics and distinctive indie-pop style — something he leans into in his latest project.
The album begins with a punchy single, “All We Ever Do is Talk,” setting up the artist’s intriguing ability to blend upbeat melodies with downcast plotlines. The lyrics detail vivid late nights and exciting moments with a partner, much like his previous album. But the song takes a melancholic turn at the chorus when, backed by hypnotic pop beats, Jaffe asks, “Will we ever get that feeling again?”
Time after time, Jaffe’s emotional outpourings, set over catchy, fast melodies, leave the listener itching to sing along. Shifting between speedy and slow tempos, Jaffe explores everything from positive, longing reflectiveness to sorrowful desolation. His musical volatility is reflective of his emotional state; ballad “Quilt of Steam” is incongruously but enjoyably followed by the shredding guitar and bouncy pop chords of “NFU.”
Jaffe draws from bedroom pop styles, suggestive of his college bandmate Maggie Rogers’ “Light On,” in the album’s apologetic anthem, “Doll House.” The head-bopping beat of “Gemini” follows, a risque account of meeting someone new. The next track, “Coping on Unemployment,” transitions back to more relaxed tempos, redolent to music by Bleachers and The 1975.
Much like the finale of his first album, “I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet” ends on a short and sweet tune, with Jaffe’s voice accompanied only by subtle piano notes. A true testament to moving on, “We Will Never Be Like Anybody Else” is a simple eulogy for what the artist no longer has and will never be able to recover.
Though it doesn’t end on a positive note, the tranquility of this song is a perfect conclusion to an otherwise turbulent and emotionally drenched album. While much more woeful in content compared to previous work, the album maintains the classic Del Water Gap sound: The quintessential duality of music that you can scream your heart out to and dance around your bedroom to, a soundtrack for the lovestruck and heartbroken alike.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Liner Notes: Jorja Smith refreshes R&B in pensive sophomore album ‘Falling or Flying’
