Lewis Del Mar — August
By Aniebiet Abasi Akpan
I don’t really know what you call Lewis Del Mar. Filled with acoustic elements but not folksy. Soulful singing you’d associate with Soul or R&B but still existing distinct of those genres. Layering and synths that you’d find in modern pop and yet they never sound overproduced. I’m never sure how to classify what Danny Miller and Max Harwood do. All I know is that I really like it.
Del Mar is Spanish for of the sea and perhaps it’s just the motifs in their album covers and promotional art but I do find myself transported when I listen to their songs. There’s something truly littoral and maritime about their sound. It’s not a sunshine and sand vibe though, more a rough and rocky cove kind of vibe. Like what the locals are left with when the clouds are out, the waves are choppy and the tourists have gone home.
Their album August that appropriately came out in August 2020 really spoke to where I was emotionally at the time and even revisiting it now strikes me as incredibly prescient. Catch me in a different mood and you’ll get a different answer as to which song on the LP speaks most to me.
Rosalie (CH. II) is out now. Listen here: https://found.ee/ldm-rosalie
Read more about Rosalie here: https://found.ee/ldm-rosalieessay
All streaming proceeds until June 25, 2020 go to Arts in Parts, an organization in Rockaway that educates local students of color on ocean ecology and environmental protection.
But right now, I find myself drawn again and again to Rosalie (CH. II) The song starts with guitarist and lead singer Danny Miller’s voice crooning with a lick being plucked out on a nylon-string guitar in the background. The mixing of the vocals for the first 30 seconds keeps the natural reverb of the recording environment in the song. It calls attention to his voice as if you’re sitting in a small drafty room with him. When the optimistic bassline and percussive elements come in, they contrast sharply with the lyrics of empathy at the anguish of injustices suffered by those around. The layers and big sound come in at the chorus. Max Harwood’s drumming chops and careful keys really start to shine as the melody connects to a bigger more intricate pattern. This huge interconnectedness is mirrored in the refrain lyrics “You are my mother, my father, my brother. Rosalie, I need to reach a life outside my mind”. Danny’s serenading serves as the adhesive glue to the song. It carries you in-between measures as other elements come and go throughout the breakdown. Leaving us right where we started with Mediterranean plucking and rich humming. To me, this song and album as a whole show that this duo of childhood friends can speak to the times without being preachy and can create powerfully moving pieces with catchy fundamentals.
Side note, I like the Espanol version of the song released as a single. I barely know any Spanish but hearing the same melody over a new cadence was enjoyable and I’m sure there’s a dimension of meaningfulness that comes with experiencing the lyrics that way if you understand them.