Del Water Gap: 1 (646) 943 2672 (Extended Play) EP
As promised, Del Water Gap released their newest EP, 1 (646) 943 2672 (Extended Play) on March 10th. We sat down with the band in February before their set with SoFar Sounds, which you can find here. They were psyched about their upcoming release, and we'd already gotten a taste of the new sound with "Vanessa" and "High Tops," two early singles.
Just like we predicted, this EP has so much more. Del Water Gap's sound has come full circle from their earlier soft acoustic melodies to a full-band with powerful harmonies, undeniably catchy beats, and a sense of uniqueness that is still reminiscent of their beginning.
Singer Holden Jaffe possesses an unbelievable amount of diversity in these new songs. He is powerful when he needs to be, working with the full range of his voice in one breath, and then easily transitions into a softer, more controlled sound. But one thing that I love so much about him as an artist is that he hasn't sacrificed any part of his easily recognizable voice that instantly attracted me to the band's earlier works. He still holds this incredible amount of originality, but he's learned how to grow it, and hearing that transition has been so satisfying as a listener.
Along with "Vanessa" and "High Tops," we get four more new songs on this EP. "Let's Pretend," "Deidre, Pt. 1," "Don't Read the Mirror," and "Love Song for Lady Earth." There is an exciting amount of fullness to these new songs. Like Holden said in our previous interview, the band definitely has a better sense of who they are and what they want to do with their sound. Everything is cohesive. Everyone is working together, completely in sync. Everything works with this EP. These songs are about love and letting go, but one overarching theme that hit me - especially in "Let's Pretend" - was introspection; if you held a mirror up to your existence, would you like the reflection?
Lyrically - as usual - these songs are so beautifully detailed, and that's something I always love in music. When artists are able to capture extremely specific moments with phrases that might seem irrelevant to listeners but at the same time still resonate, it makes the song that much more impactful because on some level we've all shared these experiences.
On another note - our curiosity got the best of us and we had to give the phone number in the title a call - and you should too. See what happens.
Nothing about this EP disappoints. This is by far Del Water Gap's best work yet. While I do love their early favorites like "Lamplight" and "Cut the Rope," these new songs are just on a whole new level of great. There's so much introspection with these lyrics. There's so much depth to the music, and so much growth within the band, both together and separately.
Do yourself a favor and check these guys out. I've never had a negative thought about their music, and I'm so excited to catch them in Philly again next month.
You can find 1 (646) 943 2672 (Extended Play) anywhere you stream music!