Pascal Delay- BADLANDS
I got put on to this artist via a friends DM on twitter while I was driving and, as I was trying to listen I nearly swerved off the road and into a house. After finally arriving to my job I checked this out and damn. Quickly I hopped into Spotify to catch a better feel for his overall style, and it’s as varied as the amount of locations he has lived in (this is something I learned of him when I tried to ask “where he was from”).
Riley The Musician has a sound here that see’s pieces of hip-hop and alternative rock culminate into one with a touch of pop sprinkled in. A guitars strings hum in the background and mellow your mind, but these guitar strings hover just above a hip-hop type drum/snare pattern that provide an injection of energy. The pop comes in when paying attention to the way the vocals are edited. All that combines into one dope listening experience.
The vocals themselves are just as varied as the production on this track. Pascal chimes in at roughly halfway the run time to provide the hook. His higher vocal pitch here is a nice switch-up that makes the hook stick to your mind that much more. Pascal Delay provided a visual “teaser” prior to this track being released and it could not more perfectly encapsulate the vibe his voice will provide the listener on BADLANDS. It’s soothing yet desolate all at the same time.
This vibe is one which matches the subject matter of his lyrics, which touch on things such as, the troubled relationship his parents shared, or the inner-thoughts his heart possesses at times while it continues its search for love. Not an easy track to dissect, but that’s the point. Humans aren’t easy creatures to study or understand and this track is a lovely representation of that. Here’s to hoping there’s more to come from Pascal Delay.
Pascal Delay on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pascaldelay
