Gyats0 Tackle Grief on ‘wake’

Brooklyn-based Indie pop artist, Gyats0 has a lot going for him outside of just the interesting spelling of a Tibetan Monk moniker ( or the father figure of one beloved last Airbender depending on who you are).

For one his mastery of the instrumental and emotional milieu of contemporary indie and pop, as well as Brit pop, was palpable even from his 2021 debut LP 'Slumber Strikes'.

A project which, while not as fully realized as his subsequent outings, showcased an immense production and songwriting prowess with tracks like the, hazy and ambient opener, 'Departure' and the experimental closer 'Slumber Strikes'.

On this more recent single, 'Wake' Gyats0 definitely feels more in the pocket of this guitar-based, indie-pop groove pioneered and perfected by your Mac Demarco, Teenage Fanclub's, and Pinegrove's of the world. In contrast, the lyrical content sees Gyats0 talking about the aftermath of attending a wake and the emotional turmoil of the situation.

The track starts off with jangly guitar over the first verse, "Cleared out the bar when I left it was pouring / Wet fall rain I told you, wouldn't be walking home / Fixed up the motor and got it going / In a bleached white line of house / Flipped the truck and I'm mowing".

Gyats0's style of stream-of-consciousness, sensory descriptor-focused lyric writing does a lot to make you feel like you're in the scenarios and stories he's singing about personally. From there a bouncy bass, steady drums, and clean electric guitar are introduced into the mix further adding to the jovial nature of the instrumental atmosphere.

As the song progresses towards the chorus Gyats0's vocal delivery intensifies to a lurid shout with the lines, “One day on the wake you get drunk so you don't shake all night” the intensity of the vocal delivery is buttressed by a jazzy piano and triumphant organ section, both of which become a mainstay in the track after this point. After the final chorus, the song fades into a quiet ambience before relatively static and ominous audio of someone talking begins to play before the track concludes.

Altogether 'Wake' is a fantastic, melancholic yet sonically bright indie-pop record. It appears alongside a swath of equally captivating songs on his most recent album 'Heartache' which is out now.

Kenneth Butcher

@kazu_kb 

Image: 'Wake' Official Single Cover