Dropping on Friday, June 27th, Effin releases the long-anticipated album “Daydreams,” a heartfelt journey marking the official beginning of summer. Released just a week after the summer solstice, this thirteen-track album is wrapped in warm summer sunshine and euphoric vibes that will have you basking in its glory. After an early listening link and an album release party in Denver the day before, fans have eagerly been awaiting this official launch.
Dropping three singles this spring along with a Tape B collaboration, the remaining ten songs will leave you scratching your head in wonder. Simply titled “Daydreams,” the album’s title perfectly describes its feel, packed with emotional warmth and soothing basslines reminiscent of a warm summer breeze. Only Effin can lay such a delicate touch, yet bounce you off the rails with his signature jarring bass lines and heavy soundscape.
My Daydreams are more like Nightmares
Opening with the title track “Daydreams,” a collaboration between NGHTMRE and Effin (pun intended), this is one of my favorite songs on the album. It begins with soft, soothing vocals that create a classic old-school vibe. Just before the one-minute mark, Effin hits a powerful, jaw-dropping drop that will shake you to your core. Effin’s drops are indescribable; it’s as if the bass grabs you by the shoulders and shakes you in the most pleasant way possible. Filled with the energy of both Effin and NGHTMRE, the opening track sets the tone for what’s to come…
Next on the agenda is “Time Goes By.” A low-end grinder of pure grit, I love how Effin infuses old-school hip-hop samples with soft, whimsical vocals. A jukebox meets boombox kind of vibe. Almost as if Tape B were to raid Elvis’ record collection. The following three tracks are the previously released singles, “ Dreams Come True”, “Bringing Me Down” and the Tape B collab “Ups and Downs”. Just as the collaboration says, this album is filled with Ups and Downs.
Oh so lonesome
Chock-full of emotion and raw energy, the next track “Lonesome” pulls on your heartstrings, delivering that laid-back summertime sadness. Sampling what I believe is Little Richard, this melodic wonderland drifts you through the clouds with its shimmering synths. The emotional lyrics switch gears around the halfway point of the album. “Scratching My Head” continues this vibe, gently guiding you along for a wonderful interlude for the album.
The comes “Lovebirds”… Big raspy bass lines reverberate back and forth on this gritty masterpiece. Elegant vocals similar to Doris Day interlace this sorrowful, glitchy bass tune. Packed with plenty of Effin’s signature bass, “Lovebirds” is definitely a cloudy day groove for sure. Then the strange bells begin to sing on “Anybody But Me.” An entanglement of male and female vocals delivers an intro unlike anything I’ve ever heard before.
The sheer precision of this intro is mind-blowing. I love the space-filled samples overlaid with 50’s style vocal arrangements. A true damn tune in the sense. Mesmerizing in every way. Blending into “Open Your Eyes” is an optimistic melody of many blessings summer has to offer. As the lyrics say, “open your eyes, and everything will be just fine.” The pain and emotion really shine through this wavering wonderwall. Continuing this optimistic vibe is “Another Dream.” Blending subtle female vocals with none other than Big Poppa this song perfectly winds down the closing portion of the album.
A cool hip-hop feel to it “Another Dream” gently bouncing you along, easing you back down from the clouds of this transformative journey you just embarked on. Closing the curtains and taking its final bow is the ending track “ Goodnight”. Elegant vocals coon for a good nights sleep with their lover. The high pitched vocals guide the movie style ending to transcendent ending as the draping red curtains close and red roses fill the stage floor.
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