I’m just gonna say it: “Brand New” by Sea Glass deserves a spot on your Chill Hits playlist. Full stop. This warm, swaying three-minute track is a song to listen to at the beach, with sunlight sponging over your back. It’s quietly captivating, with gentle vocals and a rewarding rise and fall. The song features Dripping Honey and Misty Boyce, whose intertwining vocals give life to the grooving soundscape.
The fire of desire is making me drown
Sea Glass is the brainchild of Jake Muskat, a Brooklyn-based instrumentalist and producer. Muskat is known for his lo-fi indie bedroom pop and his distinct ability to weave together unique sounds and voices. For example: “Brand New” grows from a muted chiming sound. In the first ten seconds we witness the seed of the song sprouting upwards; the chiming sounds are punctuated by sparse drums and glimmering strings. Then, just as Dripping Honey enters with his vocals, the bass rolls in and grounds us in the song. It creates a mesmerizing rise and snap effect that draws us hypnotically closer before we are yanked into the story.
I feel okay with or without you/I never saw past that first night
Dripping Honey has a comfortable, deepened cadence similar to that of Jack Antonoff of Bleachers. He sounds like he’s talking to you when he sings: there’s a conversational lilt to it, an openness for reciprocation. His vocal partner on the track, Misty Boyce, provides a perfect structural balance to his rich sound. She has a clear, bright voice that blends seamlessly – and it’s no wonder, as Boyce has performed alongside the likes of Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson. Her style makes for a tangible chemistry with Dripping Honey, so that the exchange truly feels like a conversation, a two-sided story with a gorgeous middle ground.
I fell to my knees/Went to catch you in the breeze
When it comes down to it, this is a song of synergy. The fact that this is a piece created by three independent artists is testimony enough to the necessary connection of “Brand New.” But the song is far from disjointed, despite the various moving pieces. Rather, the contrasting elements fold and twist together to create something new entirely. The build-up to minute two of the song is especially telling in this regard. Just before the second minute, Dripping Honey and Misty Boyce’s voices slide together and the instruments slam into a hypnotic groove; the combination of the harmonized voices, familiar melody, and full-send production makes for a deeply satisfying chorus.
“Brand New” has all the makings of a chill hit. Keep your eyes on Sea Glass this year and whip out this fresh single on your next socially distanced beach trip – you certainly won’t regret it.
