Feng Suave has made waves in the indie pop genre the last few years for their soulful, dreamy take on bedroom pop. The Dutch duo's 2017 hit track, "Sink into the Floor," first garnered attention for its hypnotizing strings and intimate lyrics. But the group's latest project proves that they are capable of pushing beyond the typical 'bedroom' sound perfected on their debut.
On Warping Youth, Feng Suave deliver a more fleshed-out, refined project with themes involving the highs and lows of adolescence. The dyad of Daniël Schoemaker and Daniël de Jong take us on a euphoric journey detailing the classic teenage experience, attempting to make sense of growing up during the strange time in which we find ourselves.
Songs like "Toking, Dozing" and "Maybe Another Time" absolutely ooze the energy of unencumbered youthfulness. The former, an ode to the carefree pleasures evoked by marijuana, while the latter is an eloquent declaration of love. The fan-favorite "I'm Warping Here" fits perfectly with these themes, contributing an upbeat instrumental with lighthearted lyricism. In contrast, EP opener "Half-Moon Bag" provides a soothing, sanguine outlook on life's struggles, urging us to see the bigger picture rather than dwell on smaller details.
While this project maintains a cheerful, untroubled vibe throughout, there are also moments that emphasize the harsh realities of growing up. The final two tracks – "People Wither" and "Day One" – prove to be Feng Suave's most introspective and poetic ballads to date. Each song details the realization that adulthood is not all that we anticipate it to be, and coming to terms with this reality. It's tracks like these that demonstrate the versatility of the group, proving they are much more than just lo-fi love songs.
The production further sets apart Warping Youth from Feng Suave's past work. They maintain their signature beachy guitar strings and bouncy bass lines, but add many layers of complex instrumentation. Rather than simply loop a set of strings and drums, Feng Suave allow their instrumentals to progress and transform throughout each track, perfectly accompanying the vocals. The spacey outro of "Half-Moon Bag" or the sudden hard-hitting drums and bold chords that appear halfway through "Day One" are perfect examples.
Warping Youth delivers a blissful take on adolescent experience, perfect for lazy summer days. Check out Warping Youth above, on Soundcloud, or stream the project on Spotify.
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