Charismatic indie-pop sensation lo-fi pop heartthrob Dayglow, aka Sloan Struble mining the depths of his inner psyche as one bedroom troubadour to another. From his 2021 LP Harmony House Analysis, “Close to You” is among its best tracks. On its surface, it’s a bubbly dance jam that captures that energy of 80s grooves, but there is an emotional narrative running below the upbeat synths and soul-soothing hooks. It encompasses the seldom-black-and-white facets of all relationships, self-examination and speaking truth across great distances.
In this essay, we dissect the depth within “Close to You,” looking at lyrical Analysis themes and emotional layers as well as why it epitomizes a new era for Dayglow.
Now that you have heard the sound, how about we take a look at who this artist is and what their style sounds like?
Now, let’s read Close to You lyrics fully and then follow this artist. Dayglow is the project of 22-year-old Sloan Struble, a singer-songwriter operating out of Texas. He became well-known with his first album Fuzzy brain (2019), which spawned “Can I Call You Tonight?” Described as bedroom pop — which is characterized by its do-it-yourself nature and has uplifting rhythms laying underneath more emotionally resonant lyrics.
Harmony House saw Dayglow elevate his sound to a new echelon, trading in homespun production for something sleeker and more appealingly propulsive that still left space for the reflective lyricism and rousing melodies fans have come to adore. His inspirers incorporate legends of 80s synth-pop–specifically Tears for Fears and Talking Heads — yet in addition to recent indie up-and-comer Mac DeMarco. Case in point: “Close to You” epitomizes this blend of familiarity and the future better than any other tracks from 99.
Lyrical Breakdown: “Close to You”
Close to You is ultimately a song about emotional disconnection in relationships, and many songs that seem lovely Analysis are like this: on the surface level filled with love but really fundamentally bums. It talks about the struggles and frustrations that occur while attempting to communicate with someone emotionally, but it feel as though you both are in different countries which speaks no same language. This is the lyrics and what they might mean!
Verse 1:
Whispers — I saw you searching for fire, Face paint the color of a cigarette.
As God he can be asked, The clean boy you found; You didn’t see me face down.
In this case, the speaker is acknowledging that another person they like has moved on to someone else. The “cleanest boy” could be the person who looks most cut out for it, based on what this individual believes he or she is seeking. The phrase “turned around” implies that the speaker believes they have been overlooked, or perhaps worse ignored despite their close physical proximity. And then it lays the foundation for thematic miscommunication and emotional separation that would become a theme of the entire song.
Pre-Chorus:
Fingers stretching out your and / Fingerstretching out your hand / I’m buyside you.
The Chorus – The Heart of the Song
But I feel right now that / Mmm mmm I can’t see you
It was the repeating of those lines that gave these moments amidst relationships their frustration and confusion.
That same feeling of longing and despair is given voice in the verse as well. The speaker really does want to close the distance and get over that wall, but they won’t understand how. That will speak to any individual who has ever felt misled with somebody, even however they profoundly thought about them.
Verse 2: Further Down the Disconnect
Then, in the chorus: ————————————————– Dreamt we danced out there in the dark You were distant and holding a spark
In the second verse, the lyric alludes to a dream — another common songwriting metaphor for unmet desires or subconscious terror. They are dancing with a lover that is just out of reach. The light is in the box, but it’s stuck.
Pre-Chorus (Reprise):
Again, the pre-chorus lets on that another person touches what the speaker wants with her hands. This doubles down on the theme of emotional isolation, as repetitive lines often do.
80s Influence, Synth-Pop Nostalgia
The most distinctive element of ‘Close to You’ is the production. Filled with its bouncing bassline, bright synths, sleek groove and clear 80s influence it quite literally screams retro wave pop. It gives the song a fun, bouncy feeling and also in places it compliments the creative lyrics remarkably well.
It makes a very catchy, dance contrast to the lyrical emotional frustration.
Thematic Depth: desire, miscommunication, and vulnerability
At its best, “Close to You” is about the contradictions of human relationships and our struggle in making ourselves understood. The Analysis song is basically about unspoken thoughts and the fact that you can never say exactly what you mean.
The lyrics also deal with self-confidence and insecurity. This exhilarating emotional tug, set against a cascade of dance-inspired beats taps into people in more ways than one.
Dayglow Is a Collaborative Vision For fans of — Greta Van Fleet in cover song form.
This, in many ways is “Close to You”. Initially, it is a fun track that you can groove to.
In conclusion, Close to You is penned as a harmony of romance and the current norm in relationships nowadays.
Delving into themes of misunderstandings, yearning and self-doubt the track connects to that shared experience felt by anyone who listens.
With that, on our own relationships journey — “Close to You” keeps us appreciating effective communication and emotional intensity. In this sense,
