LAUNDRY DAY Shines Bright in 'LIGHT UP SHOES 2'
The first byproduct of BROCKHAMPTON is here. Well, they've been here. New York-based band LAUNDRY DAY, composed of five high school seniors, has been taking the boy band formula and running with it. The DIY feel to the new age alternative collective has continued to produce impressive release after impressive release. Yet, what might be even more impressive than the sheer art the group is producing is the speed at which they are doing so.
As a high school senior, all I was worried about were college applications and deciding which one of my friends we would jokingly nominate for prom king. However, for the young boys of LAUNDRY DAY, they're more worried about performing at Tyler the Creator's Camp Flog Gnaw set releasing their fourth project, LIGHT UP SHOES 2.
The EP runs at about seventeen minutes long and highlights the group's recent growth as producers, songwriters, and all-around musical prodigies. LIGHT UP SHOES 2 opens with "CRàˆME," which features a plethora of washed-out vocals, seemingly mixed underneath the instruments on the track. The vocal layering on the chorus is an angelic moment of synthesizers and sheer beauty, echoing "still trying to figure it out" before welcoming in a smooth drum break and gentle chimes. The second verse is delivered by one of two frontmen for the group, Jude, whose confidence and charisma is a distinguishing element for the collective.
Following the intro track, the listener is introduced to "Bulldog," a more experimental take for the New York collective. Over a few simple keys, frontman Jude delivers a verse all about youthful love, referencing braces, happiness, and finding that special someone. The vocals on the track ring smoothly and warmly, welcoming in the listener and complimenting the stripped-down production. The track progression on "Bulldog" is a testament to LAUNDRY DAY's innate ability to format a song with a never-ending sense of progression. It is with this that they allow themselves to thrive and welcome novel ideas, sounds, and qualities that are years beyond themselves.
LIGHT UP SHOES 2 draws to a close with "Karat," which opens as a ballad as Sawyer emotionally echoes the track’s chorus over dramatic piano chords. The track eventually echoes a refrain, "I just want to shine / I just want to shine," a dream that is most definitely within reach for the group.
In its entirety, LIGHT UP SHOES 2 is a brilliant testament to LAUNDRY DAY's future. Generation after generation, we see a symbolic passing of the torch. As Tyler, the Creator and Kanye West served to mold the boys of BROCKHAMPTON, America's best boyband now has influenced the next generation of creators, and they are most definitely going to be making some noise over the next few years.
Listen to LIGHT UP SHOES 2 below:
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