Warm Up With Dry Reef's Glowing New Single, "Hey Bird"

Philly-based surf rockers Dry Reef have teased us with their first single since 2018’s Daychange, and to say that it’s a refreshing reprieve from the last couple months of cold is an understatement. Recorded at Little Brother Audio in West Philadelphia, produced and mixed by Tyler Ripley and Pat Gillen, and mastered by Tyler Ripley “Hey Bird” is a meditative look at what Dry Reef’s spring is going to look like.

What I tend to love the most about Dry Reef’s music is the brightness of it. There’s always an undeniable sense of infectious happiness with each of their songs, and it manifests itself in different ways. In older tracks like “Sweet” and “Come Away,” both off Daychange, that energy is tangible in powerful, belted vocals and fast tapping guitar riffs. “Hey Bird” takes that energy, tones it down, and evenly blends it through every aspect of the song. This is the first track of theirs where vocalist Pat Gillen’s vocals sort of take a backseat to the soundscape. They’re wistful and understated and play with the poppy guitar hook in a way that feels perfectly balanced.

Dry Reef is calling this track their most dynamic song yet, and I see it. On a first listen, it’s gentle. It’s a sweet reminder of all the reasons why fans love them to begin with, a perfect reintroduction to their sound. But when you listen closer, this song has such a great build that “dynamic” becomes the most authentic way to describe it. I don’t think they know how to write a sad song. Or if they do, they do it deceptively. The essence of Dry Reef’s seven-years deep discography is happiness. Gillen has said “I just want to make music that sounds like the best day of your life.” If I had to pin this song to a day, it would fall on one where I was right on the edge of something. It’s such an exciting song, bubbling with anticipation and hope.

As always, the instrumentation on this track is deeply moving, and if the last forty-five to sixty seconds of the song could just loop for an hour, I wouldn’t complain. Guitarists Collin O’Donnell and Charles Minehart weave such a euphoric and vibrant composition that just come with the territory of writing and playing together for so long. Watching that moment live is something special, too.

“Hey Bird” is effervescent, and it’s coming to us when we need a pick me up the most. It’s a comforting reminder of what we’ve been missing since Daychange, while still adding a level of maturity and growth to the band’s sound.

Dry Reef is hitting the road later this month, kicking off a run of shows at Johnny Brenda’s on February 20th, and making their way down south and then back, ending their tour at West Chester’s Sprout Music Collective on April 4th.

You can stream “Hey Bird” below.

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