Meet Keegan del Rio, a soloist of various talents – singer-songwriter, composer, and mixing engineer – who has recently shared a new song called “Dwelling” – a spiritual-sonic hybrid of tropical-funky brutalist post-punk and relentless cold-psychedelia with groovy bassline undertones. Mastered by Mat Leffler Shulman who has previously worked with Beach House and Dan Deacon the song drifts into a neo-psychedelic sound which is new but nostalgic and fails to sound completely like other bands even if it can be classified under a similar movement.
Right from the tone of the song, the guitar is so fuzzy and heavy beat drums make the listener to be immediately plunged into the theme of the song, which is “Dwelling. ” Del Rio’s voice is at the heart of it- she portrays the heartache with the air of lost longing. Lyrically simple lines like ‘I’m living in a past life That never even felt that good I wanna make it sound right But I don’t think I ever could Don’t stay afraid,’ are reflective of a deep and pensively introspective theme prevalent in the song making it quite emotive to the listeners.
Composition wise, “Dwelling” is a particularly strong song due to the excellent orchestration, and airtight construction. All the instruments works in harmony and has important places, thus establishing an atmospher that make the listeners penetrate into it. The technical aspects are excellent, with a balance of melodies and instrumentations, for an overall perfect sound of the song. Thus, the song definitely carries an indie feel, with the psychedelic aspects blended in seamlessly so that it does not feel entirely novel, but still has a different vibe.
For me the best quality noticeable in the song is Del Rio’s vocal shipshape. His vocal ability and the power of his performance deserve attention as he hardly disappoints especially when it comes to conveying the views expressed in the song through the shifts between the acappella, the verses, and the chorus. The harmonies are rich and polyphonic, and they complement the passionate or melancholic sentiments of the lyrics, as well as the complexity of the musical arrangement.
Thus, the single from Keegan del Rio can be considered as a unique piece that utilizes nostalgic haze and active production to develop indie-psychedelia with shades of the past and the modern industry.
