Cavetown Releases ‘Man’s Best Friend’.
Written by: Jodi Vuong
If I were to describe Cavetown’s newest EP, Man’s Best Friend, in one word, I’d probably choose “soft.” Or “smooth.” Or “soothing.” The project covers a whole bunch of topics, but it’s all tied together in the way that it sounds. The singer writes candidly of his experiences and emotions, some of which are from quarantine and some of which are not. His acoustic style and wispy vocals lends to a unique indie pop sound and is reminiscent of something you can’t quite put a finger on.
The EP begins with “The Idea of Her.” In an interview with Dork magazine, Cavetown admits, “Over the past couple of years, I’ve written an embarrassing amount of songs about the same person.” This track is airy with acoustic strumming and gentle keys, providing the perfect background for all of the singer’s introspection and constant thoughts about this person. At the same time, Cavetown questions whether he’s actually in love with them or just the idea of them. I think this song does a great job of encapsulating what it’s like to be running circles in your head when you do have these strong feelings towards someone.
The next track, “Ur Gonna Wish U Believed Me,” is definitely on the more melancholic side. Reverberant percussion, as well as the general spaciousness and echoes of the track, convey this emptiness, loneliness, and depth of negativity that the artist feels. The song accumulates in a stunning wall of sound that washes over the listener.
Next up is “Paul,” which is Cavetown’s rendition of the original version by Big Thief. It’s calming and slightly sad, like missing someone and longing for their presence again.
“I Want to Meet Ur Dog” is a more light-hearted song. The autotune placed over the vocals and the shimmery piano paired with the swung feel makes the whole song feel like you’re twirling around in your room. The song was written about the same person as “The Idea of Her” and the idea is that Cavetown just wanted to get to know her better and share life experiences with her, all while bonding over her dog.
Up next is “Let Me Feel Low,” in which the artist just wants to step away from putting on a positive facade and just feel low for a little. Maybe it's quarantine burnout or something else toxic in your life, but regardless, Cavetown says you need to let yourself feel these negative emotions instead of pushing them aside or ignoring them. As an added bonus, the production on this track is pretty sick too!
The last two tracks follow the trend of topics that are a little harder to talk about. “Guilty” is a little bit of an existential crisis situation, where no matter what Cavetown does, he doesn’t feel good enough. “Sharpener” discusses disliking oneself and coping tendencies.
There’s a lot covered in Man’s Best Friend. It shows Cavetown’s range, from being able to be light-hearted to taking the initiative in discussing darker topics. He makes you feel comforted, whether it's a song that makes you feel like you’re lying in the sun or it's a song that lets you know you’re not alone.