Dad Junior pivots his sound on chill new record, "Anniversary"
After minimal downtime, Dad Junior is back and better than ever with his all new record, titled Anniversary. Read along for our complete thoughts on his latest album, in addition to a refresher on this talented artist.
Following up his end of 2020 record, Soup Fantasies, Dad Junior has come back and delivered something on the more chill side of things. Based out of Portland, Oregon, Dad Junior is a multi-instrumentalist who has quickly shown he can shapeshift into any genre or mood type of music he’s feeling. Anniversary is certainly a departure from his last full length, but we still love it for all it offers.
Featuring layers upon layers of piano, guitar, bells, strings over Dad Junior’s C.A.B. (chill ass beats) you’ll find one of the most relaxing, yet focused albums we’ve heard all year. Including samples galore and an array of sounds from multiple decades, we couldn’t help but instantly become attached to everything that this record is offering.
According to the artist, “writing this was like renewing my vows to the first love. Always faithful to the lo fi instrumental piano vibes. The spring of 2021 holds so many anniversaries, both personally and collectively, so I hope this album reaches those who could use a moment of pause and chill.”
In a world that is slowly turning back to the hustle and bustle of things, it’s albums like this that we’ll without a doubt be turning to at the end of a long and stressful day to get our minds right and melt into the next day. Without relying on vocals here, it truly allows for the listener to give nothing but 100% focus on the array of instruments being presented to your ears. At 10 songs in length over 25 minutes, the record truly zooms right by as each unique song flows into the next. Really though from start to finish, it’s cohesive in its tones and doesn’t stray too far from its ultimate goal of just being a chill listen.
So much of the music we listen to nowadays is based on our moods and setting. Sitting in the car in traffic, trying to destress, or even lounging around at the beach all day would be an idyllic place to take this all in. We’re not quite sure if that was the goal of the artist, but he’s really made something for the masses that doesn’t need rhyme or reason to listen to. The replayability factor here is at an all time high and we commend him for crafting up something that doesn’t go off the deep end.
It should go without saying at this point, but this is an album and an artist that we’ve loved since he first crossed our path. If this just so happens to be your introduction into his music as a whole, you’re definitely starting in the right place, however we do recommend you check out the rest of his works as a baseline to see how he changes up his sounds. For now, kick off your day or night with a full listen of Anniversary. Enjoy!
For all things Dad Junior, to listen, and to keep up with all future releases and information, please check out the following links below.
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