Learning To Grow In Dayglow’s “Harmony House”
Wendy Rosales & Destinee Hurd
Sloan Struble, also known as Dayglow, began the writing process for Harmony House right after his debut Fuzzybrain. Sloan’s drive for the album was “writing a soundtrack to a sitcom that doesn't exist.” Around this time the inspiration for the album came from watching the show Cheers and listening to piano-driven soft rock from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.
Photo by Pooneh Ghana
Harmony House is a mature album that touches on the topic of growth and coping with the changes of life. The eleven tracks remind us that change does not have “to be overwhelming.” Struble’s personal experiences came as an inspiration to write the album. He left university to commit to become a full-time musician, which led him to deal with the repercussions of change.
We highlighted some of our favorite tracks off Harmony House below!
The second track on the album, “Medicine” is heavily inspired by an ‘80s sound. This song shapes the album on what the rest of the experience is going to be. When listening it feels classic and dreamy. It was written while Struble lived in a dorm room back in university on his acoustic guitar. Later at 21, he decided to revisit the song and ended up rewriting it for piano.
In the album, we can hear Struble come to terms that everything will be okay in songs like “December.” He reminds those listening to “just remember every year has a December” assuring the listener that “change is a necessary part of life’s journey.” This wisdom comes from a collection of poetry that was gifted to his great-grandmother. Through the trying times in life where we are faced with our new self, the world continues to change around us. We just need to remember “there’s gonna be days when you don’t feel like you, but that's what seasons do, they change.” We need to be less self-critical and accept our personal evolutions.
Photo by Pooneh Ghana
“Crying on the Dancefloor” is a song of confession with melodic ‘80s beats painting the background. The saxophone instrumental adds a dreamy dimension of solace. “To be open, is probably the hardest thing” lays out a cathartic and honest escape into what vulnerability feels like. Another relatable aspect of the album is having that specific person who is one’s “kryptonite.” This can be heard when Struble sings “I fell apart when you walked through the door.”
“Like Ivy” concludes the album bringing you back to the rhythmic theme introduced on the opening track, “Something.” The song expresses the innocence of learning and growing throughout life. This is illustrated through the way Struble takes time to realize and accept the future. The track ends in a lullaby-like instrumental, sending us into complete harmony.
Harmony House debuting in 2021 is fitting to many in a post COVID-19 world. Many of us have experienced the emotions of drastic and severe change. The lyricism on the album is timeless, relatable, and the most sound advice we’ve heard in awhile. Struble takes us through a whirlwind of vulnerability and the beauty that comes with the raw adaptation of life.
Listen here!