Life is stressful. I wish that weren’t the case, but it’s an inescapable fact. There are many ways to combat the stress of life, but one of our favorites is by listening to music. When it comes to stress-relief music, I always go with either something loud and heavy to get my frustrations out, or something blissful and serene to calm me down. There’s a new entry into my playlist for the blissful option, as Edmonton, Alberta, band Jesse and the Dandelions have released the serene new single “Give Up The Gold.” The track is premiering exclusively here on Substream today.
From the warm opening guitar chord, “Give Up The Gold” sounds like the soundtrack to the most peaceful dream you’ve ever had. The keyboard and synths combine to give the track an enveloping, calming blanket of sound. Frontman Jesse Northey voice is muffled by distortion to create the effect that he’s singing to the listener from outside said blanket. The electric guitars break through just enough to give the track a grounded element, but it’s never enough to upset the balance of “Give Up The Gold.” The video, which shows the band performing while static and other magical effects envelop them, keeps with this mystical, soothing sound.
While discussing “Give Up The Gold,” Northey said “This may be the simplest song that I’ve ever written. I usually get into a trap of trying to include too many chords in a song for the sake of melodic adventuring. This song was an active restraint and I think it’s stronger for it. I still feel like I got to adventure with the production. The two opposing forces of distorted breakbeat drums/buzzy guitars VS with dreamy open chords, waterfall delay guitar hooks and simple wurlitzer arpeggios, creates a landscape that I’m personally very excited about. Lyrically it’s quite simple but I love that I could include a few double entendres.”
You can listen to “Give Up The Gold” below. I suggest you lie down on the couch and get yourself comfortable before hitting play. You won’t regret it.