Robert DeLong - See You in the Future Album Review
The up and coming electronic indie pop sensation Robert DeLong is back with a brand-new EP, See You in the Future. DeLong explores apocalyptic themes such as societal downfall, conformity and living at the end of the world all backed by his signature technologically infused rave style, which he refers to as “hyper indie future pop”.
Arguably best known for his hit song “Don’t Wait Up,” DeLong has released two studio albums and has shown no sign of slowing down. DeLong is well-known for his entertaining stage presence and was even handpicked by Tears For Fears to open for their sold-out concert at the Red Rocks venue in Colorado. A huge advocate for fusing music with technology, DeLong’s newest EP is a prime example of the explorative methods he uses to create his soundscapes.
See You in the Future opens with the song “Beginning of the End,” a strong entrance for an EP that packs a lot of different influences into only four tracks. A bright and poppy song, “Beginning of the End,” seems to encourage the listener to let loose and relax, even as it describes how the world might end. Integrating dub step and electronic grooves, the song is uniquely layered with a variety of beats, which mesh very well with the contemplative outspoken dialogue DeLong has about the apocalypse and what might have caused it.
Throughout the EP, DeLong utilizes a method of underscoring his songs with purposeful interjections of sounds, such as the seemingly bubbling ambient rhythms found during “how many days till were underwater?,” which strengthen the impact of DeLong’s lyrics. The next track, “Favorite Color is Blue,” features a collaboration with the artist K. Flay, who resonates well with DeLong’s techno pop style. While the song does integrate a blaring horn sound throughout which is more grating than it is enveloping, the song has a relatively strong ability to capture the listener with an interesting layered backtrack. The song’s soundscape has a far darker and edgy avant-garde tone weaved throughout, which highlights the song’s notions of change and loss of self. This effectively singles out “Favorite Color is Blue” from the rest of the EP because its deviating aesthetic of an almost industrial vibe clashes with the otherwise upbeat songs featured on the rest of the EP.
DeLong later returns with a far more satisfying and pleasant soundscape with “First Person on Earth,” his first attempt at a love song. The track features a team up with Ricky Reed, the producer of bands such as Twenty-One Pilots, who is able to give the song a very mainstream but also unique sound. Utilizing a far gentler and subtler whistling flute sound, the thematic interlude is much more effective than the horn sound found on “Favorite Color is Blue.” The lyrics and the backtrack flow very well together and they feel cohesive with the opening, which also played around with elements of mixing calm backgrounds with anxious discussions of fate and termination. The final track on the album, “Revolutionary,” incorporates a very modern and current youthful style, while also utilizing the catchy chorus, “Let’s be revolutionary! Yeah we could be so much more!” as an encouraging call to expand and deviate from the norm. DeLong also describes the tedious system of the music industry and our society in which he feels he is just a “sign of the times,” and asks for the listener to break from the standard and be something different than what is common or ordinary. Overall, the EP is very cohesive and DeLong’s technologically infused style is well showcased through an assortment of tracks which experiment with different movements and meanings.
A concise entry into DeLong’s discography, See You in the Future is an interesting and innovative collection of conscious and thoughtful tracks centered on what might be the cause of the end of the world, all backed with DeLong’s unique technologically evolved music. Showcasing well-crafted soundscapes integrated with engaging songwriting, hopefully DeLong can utilize the progressive techniques he experiments with on this EP and will be able to create even stronger and enveloping backtracks on his future releases.
Rating: 7/10
Scott Perdue is a sophomore majoring in film/video. To contact him, email rsp5246@psu.edu.
