Daniel O’Connell can’t stop making music about the end of the world. Under his Waveland moniker, O’Connell writes songs that are multi-layered and polymorphic, wrapped with lyrics that deal with doom and planetary annihilation. His forthcoming record, Darling, is a collection of dystopian love songs” that have been written in the past year and a half. The record features frequent collaborator Rob Tornillo (IZE) on bass, vocalist Rebecca Greaves, with production by Beau Gordon.

The lead single, Slow Ride, is a nocturnal new wave waltz that looms with the tension bubbling from perpetual apprehension. On the cosmic dancefloor, smokey undertones brew with fidgety percussions, as a forboding O’Connell wearily croons. In a dark baritone, he projects his social anxieties (“you are mistaken, I hear no underground / when the party clears up can you help me dig it out?). Through its hollow intonation, Slow Ride” stirs up feelings of detachment, wistfully drifting out into the void.

A few words from O’Connell on the track and record below:

Slow Ride” is the first single from my forthcoming album, Darling. Slow Ride” is a song about social anxiety, and trying to appear normal while feeling deeply unreal. It was recorded across a couple New Orleans apartments, and features Robert Tornillo (of IZE) on bass and Rebecca Greaves on vocals. Darling is a collection of dystopian love songs I put together of the last year and a half.

Darling is out on January 18th with a limited run of pink cassettes.

Cereal Pairing: Corn Pops


2017-12-21