Emotions Run Wild Alongside Eclectic Sounds on delcarmen

Over the last 5 years or so, delcarmen has been dropping an eclectic catalog of songs predominantly on Soundcloud. These songs jump from genre to genre like the abrasive EDM of “HOUSEPARTY” to the alternative rock stylings of “Fetch.” – an incredible song that is currently featured on the indieAnthro playlist. These tracks arrived just months before delcarmen, his new album, which released earlier this month. delcarmen isn’t any less ambitious than his previous songs, but it channels those ambitions into a concise album. At just under 17 minutes, delcarmen showcases the artist's ability to craft deeply personal songs juxtaposed with biting and layered instrumentation. 

Noticeable from the album's start is the earnestness of its songwriting. delcarmen lays everything bare as he explores feelings of self-doubt, love, and bittersweet memories through a sunburnt lens. A current of spontaneity runs through delcarmen, like he went inside on a hot summer day with ideas buzzing in his head – things he needed to get out through the music. The album’s short runtime adds an anxious energy to it all. Nothing sounds stable, everything could change at a moment's notice. The struggles with self-worth on “Devoted” are thrown into the scorned seasonal mood swings of “New Voicemail,” which then get swallowed by the off-kilter jubilation of “Angel Numbers.” These emotional switch ups could easily make for a jarring listening experience, but it instead works in the album’s favor – pinballing from emotion to emotion, reminiscing on specific people, sights, or sounds that inform them. 

"Up in my magic tower, do you feel that surge of power? / Do you get embarrassed when you try to go to bed?"

However, that aforementioned spontaneity does not equal simplicity, especially in the record’s production and instrumentation. delcarmen takes notes from many of the predominant sounds in hyperpop from the turning of the decade, mixing them with elements of electronic, rock, and singer-songwriter music. Fans of artists like underscores and Jane Remover should find a lot to love in the sonic palette of this record. delcarmen has a knack for picking engaging sounds that bring out the most in his words. Like the choruses of “Fetish,” which have the album’s most overt pop production that not only lets the song feel even more complicatedly lovestruck but also centers the focus on some of his strongest hooks. Or the hazy, razor-sharp sounds of “The Power” that make for one of the most frantic moments on the record. He sings “Up in my magic tower, do you feel that surge of power?” over blaring synths, conjuring crazy sounds and fantastical lyrics that hammer home this unconventional power trip. He tones things down, for the most part, to close out the record with “Bet Your Horse,” whose washed-out groove greatly adds to the song’s wistful tone and further displays his depth as a songwriter. It’s impressive how many wild avenues this album takes you down in such a short amount of time and how well he manages to stick the landing by the end. 

delcarmen feels like a fresh start. There’s a conviction to this project that makes it very compelling on its own, but it makes you even more excited for whatever he has in store next. It feels like only a snapshot of what he’s capable of. If the strength of this project and great tracks like “Fetch.” are any indication, the future looks very promising for delcarmen – an artist you definitely need to keep on your radar.

delcarmen is available now on streaming services.