Emerging in November with the release of a twenty-five minute EP titled Harmless Melodies, Yellow Days transports your ears and brain into an airy, psychedelic, and even ominous soundscape. His voice has a pleasant deepness and a raspiness that makes his delivery sound as if the music were coming from a record player. There is undoubtedly jazz and blues influence in both the melodies of his songs, as well as the content of his lyrics. Labeling Yellow Days as an indie/alternative artist does him no justice; Harmless Melodies is in a class of its own.
The EP is a wonderful project that conveys deeply personal stories coupled with underlying themes almost any listener can relate to but in an intimate and enjoyable fashion. Love and heartbreak, the sadness of growing up and becoming adults, getting baked and enjoying a sunny day, and the onset of sudden epiphanies make up just some of the beautiful range of thoughts portrayed throughout Harmless Melodies.
As there are only 7 tracks comprising the EP, they are all worth a listen, but some of the most notable tracks are Your Hand Holding Mine, Gap in the Clouds, Interlude (It’s Alright), and A Little While. Your Hand Holding Mine starts with unusual, atmospheric guitar-picking with the onset of a dark baseline and extremely eerie, almost ghostly background vocals. The sheer amount of sounds involved in Your Hand Holding Mine is difficult to comprehend, but they all mesh in an effortless and smooth melody that helps to convey a story about first love.
Gap in the Clouds has an intense beginning with a howling of some sort and a reverberating drumbeat that feels like it bounces from ear to ear. The meat of the song is more pleasant with a simple, constant drumming, a bright organ, and light synths. This song is a bit more emotional than the others as Yellow Days sings about finding someone he finds beautifully-minded through almost divine circumstances.
Even though Interlude is under a minute long, the way Yellow Days commands his guitar is well worth the listen; the melody is definitely gloomy, but it feels like a dream-state. A Little While has more of an upbeat vibe, but both very bluesy and psychedelic. The way his voice couples with the synths over the guitar makes for an ensemble of brain-pleasing sounds along with positive lyrics about becoming noticed by one Yellow Days has strong feelings for. All in all, Yellow Days should be on your watchlist for upcoming projects, because he certainly should not be slept on.
