By Truman Martin – Staff Reporter

“Harmony House” is the second album of Austin-based artist Dayglow, also known as Sloane Struble. He has gained recognition for recording, mixing, and mastering his first album, “Fuzzybrain” in his bedroom, and he did the same thing with this album. The album explores more about Sloane as a person and how he deals with becoming an adult. 

Dayglow’s sophomore effort features a different sound from his first. The sound of this album has more of an 80’s influence with the use of synths throughout the album. The first track, “Something,” is a good opener for the album. What’s cool about this first track, and the album in general, is that it has a melody that is repeated in different ways throughout the album. At one point it is played on piano, then on guitar, and by the end of the album Sloane sings the melody. The use of this melody, and the smooth transitions between songs, strings each song together to make the album feel like one smooth song instead of just a collection of songs. 

Another strong point in the album are the lyrics. Specifically in the song “Strangers,” Sloane talks about moving to a new place. In the song, he says “What do I do / when everything feels new / but all I want is to feel my age?” After finding success from his debut album, Sloane moved to Los Angeles. This song is about him being homesick but still trying to find his way in a new situation away from his family. 

One weak point of the album is the song “Balcony.” It’s not particularly catchy or memorable, and the chorus really sounds like a generic Bedroom Pop chorus. Other than that, though, the album is pretty enjoyable. 

The best tracks on the album are “Woah Man,” “December,” and “Moving Out.” Dayglow takes his music in a fresh direction from the genre he began in, and he did it pretty successfully.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

(Some information courtesy genius.com)