Eighthrs' "birthday song" Reflects on the Duality of Inaction and Momentum

Jake Detwiler, photo by Bob Sweeney

Producer and multi-instrumentalist Jake Detwiler of Philly-based innovative pop collective Besphrenz is venturing into solo territory with his latest project, Eighthrs. With writing and production credits alongside other high profile artists like Asher Roth, A Day Without Love (he’s also featured on Brian Walker’s podcast), and The Morelings, Detwiler seems to be one of Philly’s most low-key yet prolific collaborators. His debut release under Eighthrs, “Usedtohang” - spurred by quarantine and the drag of isolation - hit streaming services in July. The languid beat paired with heavily filtered vocals pulls the listener into a headspace that yearns for connection. It’s a timestamp for the universal feeling of needing to be alone but wanting more than anything not to be. It’s something that can only describe right now. The sound itself is an appropriate gauge of Detwiler’s vision, and the synthetic landscape, intermittent guitar lines, and lyrics that drip with longing form a comfortably climactic bubble. The lo-fi and bedroom genres tend to lend themselves as background music by default, but not this. The technicality behind Eighthrs makes the project atmospheric in a way that still demands attention. 

The latest release, “birthday song,” still leans within the same vein as “Usedtohang” in the sense that it’s appropriately melancholic and slow-building (maybe even intentionally slow-burning), with vocal lines that reflect on turning a year older while simultaneously feeling stuck in one place. Whether that’s a physical inaction or a mental one, the message has depth. The soundscape on “birthday song” bounces between moments of isolated production and moments of subtle, ethereal vocals throughout the verses. Detwiler is a fan of vocal manipulation, and it’s working for me. He’s a seasoned producer who knows when to pull back and when to lean in, and this track is completely balanced. When music and lyrics come together in the choruses, they bring to the surface an understatedly powerful moment of forced introspection. This listens like a wakeup call as the inherent refrain puts the dangers of passivity into perspective. The lesson remains - time passes whether you want it to or not. That in itself makes for a hook that will stay with you long after the track ends. “Usedtohang” and “birthday song” are just a first look at what Eighthrs has to offer, but I think this is what listeners searching for atmospheric music that they can latch onto have been waiting to find.

You can stream “birthday song” below or anywhere else you find music.