UK art rock outfit DAAY showcase the chaotic and creative appeal of their experimental sound on their debut EP Cosmic Gossip
Following a raft of releases that showcase their unique sound and style and the nuance and range of influences incorporated, UK alternative rock outfit DAAY feel like a completely distinctive and one of a kind commodity in the music scene right now, delving into captivating sonic territory and exploring ideas and styles that feel as adventurous and daring as they do rewarding. This has all culminated in the release of their rollercoaster of a debut EP Cosmic Gossip, a collection of tracks that attempts to showcase all of the different facets and angles of their inescapably fun art rock sound and style.
The first track from the EP is its title track ‘Cosmic Gossip’, an effortlessly cool and varied track that feels like Julian Casablancas doing guest vocals for an MGMT track that sees the outfit at their most unabashedly creative and devious. The EP as a whole explores the Hero’s Journey concept, in which a misguided protagonist goes through an experience or crisis that reshapes them and sees them emerge having undergone something of a transformation in the process, the moody and brooding tone of this track does a great job of establishing the darkness and ignorance that inhibits this central character initially, but the irresistible charm and left-field creativity of the sound ensures that it enthals all the same.
The track then blends seamlessly into ‘Top Heavy’ (something that happens throughout the uninterrupted EP), and the lead single from the album then takes over. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the presence of a single will see things venture into more conventional territory though, as the melodic nature of the track is still met with the sense of musical chaos and off-kilter experimentation that feels impossibly beguiling, as different moving parts and ideas continue vying for your attention throughout. The artist feel of this EP is mind-blowing at times, leaving you often feeling confounded and bombarded with sounds that drop in and out, while never creating a feeling that feels overly cluttered or distracting.
The EP takes something of an interlude on ‘Mercy In The Jungle’, providing something of a moment of respite from the intense nature of the release, and flowing into the dramatic, soaring climax of the release in typically seamless fashion.
Following the darkness and chaos of what came before it, the EP’s closer ‘Who Am I’ feels almost euphoric in its synthy lightness, making for a cathartic and self-reflective conclusion to the EP and tying everything together. There is still an endless stream of things happening here and a plethora of different ideas, but the jazzy instrumentation and upbeat atmosphere makes for a track that feels much more endearing, having emerged from the other side of our trials and tribulations with a renewed sense of purpose and and perspective as to who we are.
Cosmic Gossip is an EP that feels truly without peer or parallel, a whirlwind of sounds and ideas that often feel as rewarding and fun as they are perplexing in their complexity and guile. This is a swaggering artistic release from a rising band who have no regard whatsoever for genre convention or doing things by the book, but have an oddly melodic charm to their sound that feels like it makes more sense than it has any right to. Throw in the tonal shifts and a narrative that ties everything together, and it makes for one of the most interesting and thought-provoking releases of 2023 so far.
