REVIEW: SOFY Explores the Art of Longform Listening on New Mixtape ‘Another Day in Paradise’
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY KAYLIE MINOGUE ☆
DRIVEN BY THE POWER OF STORYTELLING — London-based indie pop artist SOFY is here to share a bold and bright new mixtape. Another Day in Paradise rejects the modern music industry release and instead embraces an intentional return to long-form listening. Rather than pumping out singles, SOFY uses her artistic integrity to create an upbeat and enticing indie-pop listening experience. While she usually analyzes other people’s experiences, SOFY writes from a personal place on Another Day in Paradise. She expertly crafts a detailed story following the evolution of a relationship that's meant to be listened to in one sitting.
Another Day in Paradise immediately draws you in with the aptly named “sticky.” The quasi-psychedelic guitars pique the curiosity of the listener. You can’t quite place the sound and it's exciting. This bright sound brings up the same excitement of meeting a new love interest. You aren’t always sure where it’s going to go. SOFY seems to work some magic to bottle up these feelings and let them burst out in the song.
The mixtape consistently draws on the push and pull of entangling your life with another through its sound. It seamlessly transitions from experimental sounds right back to indie pop anthems like “togethertogether.” This track specifically reminds me of 2010s summertime high school moments, with songs like “seventeen” by Sjowgren playing in the background. It’s an uplifting song even with its somewhat sarcastic chorus, “Ha, Ha isn’t it funny whenever / apart but we’re not together together / ha ha splitting me right in the center of my heart.” SOFY plays with this hopeful energy throughout the project, sobering it up with witty, comedic lines. It has a bit of anxious humor, where it’s easier to poke fun at the things we really care about than to speak about them earnestly.
While the mixtape title is tongue in cheek, it feels earnestly addressed as you make your way to the middle of the project where SOFY graces us with “pirates.” It’s a track that feels like you’re lounging in an oceanic paradise with a wavy sound and rhythmic flow. The lyrics are desperate but confident, adding strength to this blossoming relationship. It reminds me of a moment where everything seems to be coming together and while it’s exciting, you’re trying to keep your head above water with all the changes coming.
It’s obvious why Another Day in Paradise packs a punch in a single listen. It seamlessly weaves the emotional push and pull of being in a relationship with modern instrumentation and driving rhythms. It travels through the mixed-up journey of being in a relationship with another person. Making you understand every moment from the anxiety-inducing excitement, to precarious scenes when it all feels like it falls apart, and the soft moments in between.
SOFY has created an endearing project that easily speaks to the hearts of people trying to respond to the excitement and confusion of a budding relationship. It’s earnest and thoughtful while staying light and fresh. The indie pop guitars support the bright vocal melodies, creating tracks that stick with you long after listening. Another Day in Paradise will be the perfect soundtrack for new crushes emerging from winter into the spring thaw.
