Over the course of roughly a decade, San Francisco, CA composer Devin Farney has had numerous accomplishments. Not only does he have a smorgasbord of studio albums on Spotify, but he’s also had his music featured on over 100 different TV shows and films. As impressive as all of that is, it’s nothing compared to his most recent full-length, Is/Was.
After listening to Farney’s earlier work, I find this to be an improvement in his discography. Whereas his earlier works are still pleasant to listen to, it’s easy to see why they would be used as soundtrack music. There’s always been strong hints of potential that hasn’t yet been fully realized-- that is, until now. Perhaps it’s because on this album Farney’s organic production sounds crystal clear, or maybe it could be due to his crafting some of his tightest hooks to date, but this project ticks all the right boxes! With this LP, Farney says he wanted to make something heavily indebted to traditional ‘60s pop in the vein of The Beach Boys and The Beatles, but with a modern twist. He describes it as an album where “the sonic warmth of the ’60s meets the sonic depth of the ’20s.” Moreover, while Farney plays all of the instruments here, including Hammond, Wurlitzer, upright piano, live drums and live percussion, he also invites two Bay Area vocalists to duet with him: Courtney Jean and Amity Rose on the songs “Stay Sane” and “I’m Sorry (You Feel That Way)”, respectively. Is/Was opens up with soaring vocal harmonies on the two-minute long “When Can I See You Again,” which is brief, but longing and ends abruptly. “My Kind of Person,” ushers in a wistful acoustic guitar riff as well as the typical electric bass, drums, organ and piano combination. I immediately thought of The Beatles when listening to this intoxicating number. “Forever Home” is what Farney calls “a tongue-in-cheek ode to pet adoption.” This one’s much peppier than the first two tracks and appears to be written from the point of view of a dog about its owner. While I can’t help but compare this one to The Beach Boys, I swear that the drum beat in “Forever Home” sounds as if it was lifted from a different ‘60s pop band. It is a clever song with infectious melodies. The two tracks that follow, the ballad-like “Get Back to Life” and the acapella “A Lot of Wine,” are great additions to Farney’s ever-growing discography. Sixth track and lead single, “Heart or Soul,” features a jaunty organ riff and more witty lyrics (“I’m going to see Jesus / On a highway / Or an acid trip”). Charming, hook-laden and humorous, Farney couldn’t have chosen a better lead single than this one. After the two memorable features on “Stay Sane” and “I’m Sorry (You Feel That Way),” we get to a song that should be released as the next single from Is/Was, “Normal Feeling.” This track, with its jazzy organ and doo-wop style rhythm serving as its main backdrop, even features a slide whistle! Its upbeat nature along with Farney’s knack for writing clever hooks makes it another highlight. The thirty-seconds long “Smorz” may not seem all that impressive at first, but knowing this pop mastermind’s classical experience will change that. In fact, Farney says that it’s a psychedelic spin on a classic Chopin piece. It’s a blip for sure, but for those who love classical composers, “Smorz” delivers. Finally, we reach the last two tracks, “Thoughts and Prayers,” where Farney has never sounded more like Simon & Garfunkel, and “Flirting,” which is a decent enough song to close an album like this. Still, I can’t help but think this would’ve benefited from a stronger hook, as it’s easily the least interesting track on Is/Was. Is/Was is absolutely a must-hear album! The immaculate production complements Farney’s hooks extremely well, and at a lean 33 minute runtime, the album never overstays its welcome. I don’t often listen to traditional pop and rock, but after hearing this record, I’m thinking I should change that. Strongly recommended.
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