Former DC music staple Lyell Roeder – composer, producer, and member of electronic pop duo Tigers Are Bad For Horses – is ready to debut his first solo album: Don’t Be Sad Dance was released last night, just in time for The Day of ~Love~.
Drawing from personal experiences that were still “fundamentally universal,” Lyell’s intention with this album was to demonstrate the tie between feelings and pain – “it’s music in the face of loss.”
After a 32 second intro, the phenomenal “Rose Glasses” opens the album with a grand introduction that alternates between drum rolls and keyboard-synth patchwork. The drums stay punchy throughout the verses, adding a bit of levity under lyrics that explore the intentions of a pair of former lovers post-breakup. Some lines serve as jabs (“I see Rose a day or two / Maybe three if she fucks like you” and “Your rose glasses aren’t here to stay”) while others are clear admissions of the singer’s weakness (“I say I’m waiting but it’s all for you” and “These old glasses / Just look for you”). The track closes with a guitar crescendo and a repeated “You’re all rose when you smile at me / You’re just glass when you smile at me / What do you see when you smile at me” that do little to mask the singer’s angst.
Heavily produced keyboard interludes that became a Lyell staple with Tigers Are Bad For Horses crop up in almost every song on the album, offering a constant under the eight tracks of Don’t Be Sad Dance.
Each song takes a unique angle on the theme of lost love. The nakedness of “Try Me” exposes the vulnerability of any individual who admits to having feelings – but somehow gracefully avoids cynicism and remains at the very least neutral toward the future. The nostalgic melancholy of “Back Home” contrasts the taunting taglines in the uplifting choruses of “L.A.”
And just as the subject is almost heartbroken, almost devastated, almost still in love, almost ready to move on, so is each of the songs an almost: “Work on Yourself” is almost a plea (“Two kisses on your doorstep / Too proud to remind you… / How much do you have left / Can you give a little longer”). “L.A.” is almost acceptance (“So-Cal dreams of you / I only want the best for you… / I love you and I’ll let you go”). “Rose Glasses” is almost anger.
Lyell touts Don’t Be Sad Dance as “an unflinching avowal that the more painful the hurt of loss, the greater the strength of love.” After listening to the album, we agree. Check it out on Spotify and iTunes, and look out for his upcoming projects!
Drawing from personal experiences that were still “fundamentally universal,” Lyell’s intention with this album was to demonstrate the tie between feelings and pain – “it’s music in the face of loss.”
After a 32 second intro, the phenomenal “Rose Glasses” opens the album with a grand introduction that alternates between drum rolls and keyboard-synth patchwork. The drums stay punchy throughout the verses, adding a bit of levity under lyrics that explore the intentions of a pair of former lovers post-breakup. Some lines serve as jabs (“I see Rose a day or two / Maybe three if she fucks like you” and “Your rose glasses aren’t here to stay”) while others are clear admissions of the singer’s weakness (“I say I’m waiting but it’s all for you” and “These old glasses / Just look for you”). The track closes with a guitar crescendo and a repeated “You’re all rose when you smile at me / You’re just glass when you smile at me / What do you see when you smile at me” that do little to mask the singer’s angst.
Heavily produced keyboard interludes that became a Lyell staple with Tigers Are Bad For Horses crop up in almost every song on the album, offering a constant under the eight tracks of Don’t Be Sad Dance.
Each song takes a unique angle on the theme of lost love. The nakedness of “Try Me” exposes the vulnerability of any individual who admits to having feelings – but somehow gracefully avoids cynicism and remains at the very least neutral toward the future. The nostalgic melancholy of “Back Home” contrasts the taunting taglines in the uplifting choruses of “L.A.”
And just as the subject is almost heartbroken, almost devastated, almost still in love, almost ready to move on, so is each of the songs an almost: “Work on Yourself” is almost a plea (“Two kisses on your doorstep / Too proud to remind you… / How much do you have left / Can you give a little longer”). “L.A.” is almost acceptance (“So-Cal dreams of you / I only want the best for you… / I love you and I’ll let you go”). “Rose Glasses” is almost anger.
Lyell touts Don’t Be Sad Dance as “an unflinching avowal that the more painful the hurt of loss, the greater the strength of love.” After listening to the album, we agree. Check it out on Spotify and iTunes, and look out for his upcoming projects!