Max Gardener, the 19-year old bedroom-pop ace, went through some life changes this time last year. As he headed off to college, his excellent debut Memory Lounge served as a documentation of the change and anxiety that involved with moving to a new city.
It hasn’t been too long, but the San Franciso-based songwriter is already back with a new batch of songs that mark a bold change in sound. Stirrings is the product of Gardener’s experimentation with poppier songwriting with stronger production.
The first single from the EP, “This Day & Age”, is a commentary on the seemingly aggravating times we live in, but find solace in living in the moment. Ticking in a pendulous motion, the song’s sole guitar is slicked up with a psych-funk guise that recalls Tame Impala. As it pivots along with it’s disco-accented syncopation, the track has a heighten swagger that will undoubtedly induce involuntary head nods.
Cereal Pairing: Frankenberry
Here’s Max in his own words about the EP:
“I am constantly recording and writing songs, I think it’s really the only thing I actually know how to do properly nowadays. For this EP, I was stuck on it for so long doing so many different mixes, but as I continued to read and learn about certain techniques, I found what I wanted.”
Stirrings is out October 28th on Sadie Street Records.
Tracklist 1. Where Lovers Dream 2. Lessons Of A Daydream 3. This Day & Age 4. Stirrings 5. Midnight Moon 6. Free Spirits 7. Soon Enough