With his recent single ‘Yume’, Davey Squires pairs hard-hitting swing with a 21st century crooner touch.
Davey Squires has delivered a breezy indie-rock masterclass with his recent single, ‘Yume’.
The track, which arrived last month, sees the Ohio musician lean into jazzy sounds while reflecting on the passage of time and being unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Given Squires’ roots in piano, ‘Yume’ is rightfully carried by some resplendent keys, which open the track and remain an ear-catching throughline.
Alongside these jazzier flourishes, punctuated by an improvisational feel and tinkling melodies, Squires also adds texture with even richer instrumentation.
There’s rapid-fire drum rolls and shimmering cymbals, and a groovy bassline that brims with nostalgia. Elsewhere, Squires toys with sunlit guitar melodies, but it’s his piano work that pulls focus.
The instrument provides the jazz base that imbues every corner of the track, with explosive polyrhythms and a piano solo so glittery you can almost bath in its brilliance.
Squires’ keys are also what give ‘Yume’ its free-flowing feel, as he switches rhythms and adopts multiple cadences with an infectious spirit of spontaneity.
What all of it amounts to is a sound that feels wholly unique, as Squires pairs hard-hitting swing with a 21st century crooner touch.
That croon is also a major drawcard on ‘Yume’, as Squires delivers a delicate yet raw vocal performance that ranges from airy heights to deeper broods.
In its more anthemic moments, Squires’ performance is punctuated by infectious “woo!” and “check it out” adlibs, further adding to the track’s free-wheeling energy.
Lyrcially, Squires was inspired by the Japanese language, which he dips into at various points throughout the track.
‘Yume’ translates to “a dream”, and Squires also drew inspiration from Japanese bands like BBHF, Galileo Galilei, and The Charm Park.
These influences inform the song’s more melancholic meaning, as Squires recalls hearing “the sound of rain” in Tokyo and being unable to “see the end.”
To package complex themes within an otherwise upbeat jazz cut is no small feat, but with four studio albums to his name — and a fourth set for release this year — such mastery is par for the course for Squires.
Listen to Davey Squires’ recent single ‘Yume’ below.
