Must Hear Tracks: “Nothing’s Going to Keep Me Down” “Hurt in Love” “A Bag of Dutch”
If the color yellow had a sound, what would it be like? How can the center of a daisy or a school bus be translated into music? The average person can hear flower petals rustling in the wind or the grinding of the bus engine, but it takes a special kind of person, a synesthete, to create the music of “yellow.” George Van Der Broek, known onstage as Yellow Days, has the ability to do exactly that. Every time he hears music, he sees colors through his mind’s eye. His stage name was inspired by the “yellow mist” that accompanied some of his earliest songs, and he designs all of his album artwork with the colors he sees for each track. Synesthesia is a seemingly vital trait for an artist, and Yellow Days is putting it to good use.
Born in the countryside town of Surrey, England, Van Der Broek became enthralled in music at 14, when a shoulder injury kept him away from sports. Now 18, his songs sound like the work of someone far older and more experienced. His first EP, Harmless Melodies (2016) introduced his modus operandi: reverb-laden guitars, swirling keyboards, and Van Der Broen’s weighty voice in the foreground. Lyrically, he radiated humility and wisdom on tracks like “People” and “Gap in the Clouds.” Now, on his first full length album, Is Everything Okay in Your World? (2017), Yellow Days expands on the style he unveiled with Harmless Melodies, without adding much to the mix.
Is Everything Okay in Your World? begins with “A Bag of Dutch” (there’s a joke in there somewhere). A short, woozy track– it serves as a condensed introduction to the album’s sonic and lyrical direction. According to Van Der Broek, the album was written to comfort people struggling with anxiety and depression, so the line “I think I feel too much / I think I think too much / And darling, that’s no way to survive” encompasses what the album has in store. Musically, tremolo-heavy keyboards blend with Van Der Broek’s voice to create the foggy, soulful sound that has become synonymous with Yellow Days. At its core, Everything Okay? is a soul album. Van Der Broek cites Ray Charles as his primary vocal influence, and it shows. They share a raspiness in their voices, and they have the uncanny ability to always sound like they’re singing through a smile. Beneath the vocals, bluesy keyboards, round bass, and punchy, echoing guitars appear too often to tally. “Holding On” is the closest the Everything Okay? gets to unadorned, old-school soul music. Studio sheen and synthesized elements modernize rest of the album.
Thematically, Everything Okay? shifts between optimism and sadness like a pendulum. These ups and downs seem to mimic the shaky emotional ground that depression and anxiety create. “Hurt in Love” is one of the bleakest tracks: “To be hurt in love / Darling that’s certain, love” sings Van Der Broek at the chorus. Lethargic and enveloping, it draws you into its darkness. But there is a balance of nonchalance and vulnerability to it. It is a song about the inevitability of pain, and coming to terms with that fact. Just two songs later, “Nothing’s Going to Keep Me Down” completes the pendulum swing. A stylistic and lyrical counterpoint to “Hurt in Love,” it acknowledges the pain that loneliness causes and pledges to overcome it. Van Der Broek sings “Left with the broken parts, you make a man / It’s a sad fact that no one will understand” right before confidently affirming that nothing can keep him down. The backing music matches the lyrical optimism with gorgeous twinkling pianos and bright guitars. It is a lush song that embodies humility and self assuredness in a way that feels honest. These two songs, taken together, are a microcosm of the entire album. They chronicle lost love and internal struggles, but they champion a mindset of resilience in the face of such adversity. For a young musician, Yellow Days has a firm grasp on how to process sadness and translate it lucidly into music.
As a debut album, Everything Okay? is largely successful. Excessive reverb and sonic references to soul and psychedelia are hardly interesting in themselves, but wise lyrics and emotive delivery to make the album enjoyable and repeatable. At 57 minutes, Everything Okay? is rather long, but it doesn’t become tedious. His particular blend of soul, blues, and psychedelia is comforting and fully fleshed out.
Since the release of Everything Okay? in October 2017, Yellow Days has been on the rise. The track “Gap in the Clouds” from Harmless Melodies is currently featured in a commercial for Donald Glover”s TV series, Atlanta. Meanwhile, tickets for his Spring 2018 international tour are going fast, with the vast majority of shows already sold out. He’s in a good place right now, and deservedly so. His voice soars, his guitar echoes, and his production sparkles. He is an artist who has developed a recognizable sonic fingerprint. It may not be innovative, but it soothes the ears. With only one EP and one album under his belt, he is already in-demand. The future is bright for George Van Der Broek. You could even say his days will be yellow 😉
Sources: tmrw interview NME interview Pigeons and Planes Interview Dictionary.com Atlanta Trailer
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