HuffDaddy – Lost In The Fathom
HuffDaddy – Lost In The Fathom – Album Review + Bonus Single
Alrighty…sounds like we’ve got a very promising brand-new artist on the scene in review here today.
While there are definitely multiple opportunities for HuffDaddy to grow & evolve in what he’s creating, I feel quite confident in declaring that he’s got everything it takes to build himself an incredible career. I love the way this dude has such an impressive grip on melody…in fact I’d say that’s the first thing that hit me when I was having a listening to his music – it’s what you’d call the standout element. The X-factor, if you will. Melody is the ace up his sleeve that is going to constantly lead him in the right direction over time and his insightful use of it will be what a lot of folks take away from listening to Lost In The Fathom.
We’re talkin’ about REALLY new stuff though y’all. From what I can see online at Spotify, the debut single “Karla” was dropped barely over a month ago. Anyone in HuffDaddy’s position should want nothing more than to have somewhere to go and places to grow within their craft…what we’re hearing here on this first album is the chapter where everything starts, but it’s far from where his story will end. I’ll be real with ya…I’ve never suggested a name change to anyone throughout my extensive years in this whole music journalism journey I’ve been on…but I’m gonna go ahead and do that here today. While it’s fair to say that AFTER you push play, the music will speak volumes on its own behalf – but before that, visually…the name of HuffDaddy is gonna immediately be tied to…well…I mean it’s going to remind most folks of…like…it’s just that you wanna have a good first impression on people and…hmm. Yikes.
So…for sure – the first thing that I’m seeing on a visual level is one seriously questionable choice that could very well go on to affect his entire career if he’s not careful. I’m not saying he couldn’t go on to succeed with the name of HuffDaddy – it’s not impossible whatsoever, but there’s zero doubt about the risk factor here. When you’re one month into what could be a lifelong career, in an industry where you really want to remove any/all obstacles between what you create and your potential audience…I am gonna be that dude that says it’s a lot better to change the name now than it will be later on down the road. Take this advice from the same guy that tells most artists/bands to NEVER change their moniker.
Anyhow. Like a great chef would tell ya, it’s all about how things taste sound anyway, right? As the title track “Lost In The Fathom” started up, I could immediately hear the massive degree of potential that exists in HuffDaddy – and to be completely truthful, I’m absolutely excited about this dude’s future ahead. That’s not me telling you that “Lost In The Fathom” is flawless or perfect – it’s not – but that’s okay! No one should be expecting either of those things from an artist that’s been putting their music out professionally for just over a month’s time. You know how many levels of evolution a guy like Garrett is going to go through with his music throughout the years? Countless y’all – and that’s the truly exciting part of what I hear in this opening tune. It’s complex, it’s ambitious, and it’s not just a typical song…it’s not the cautious first steps you usually hear on someone’s first record…”Lost In The Fathom” is actually quite a daring and adventurous cut when it comes right down to it. I don’t need everything in a debut to be completely rounded, shiny, and smooth – I wanna hear ideas like THIS. It’s no different than how you probably watch three episodes of a show to get a feel for whether or not it’ll retain your interest, and how you know that its capabilities of reaching you increase with the budget in the next season. I listen to “Lost In The Fathom” and smile…all the right pieces are in place, now it’s just about the refinement of his technique, a bit more consistency in what he’s doing, and experience to go with it.
You listen to a track like “Finding My Way Back” and try to tell me I’m wrong about this dude having as much of a career as he wants to have. Bands and artists can go through their whole existence without making a song as half as cool as this one is. HuffDaddy has got some genuinely essential ingredients working in his favor on this second cut…the sincerity you want to hear that gives melody its true strength…the lyrical details and poetic imagery…HOOKS that absolutely hit the mark…I’d definitely listen to “Finding My Way Back,” it’s a really well written tune. I’m kinda neither here nor there on the vocal effects…I had times where I felt like there are parts of the song that the melody wouldn’t be the same without’em in there, and I had a few spins where I felt like HuffDaddy’s a stronger singer naturally than the effects let our ears understand. Cause make no mistake…I like effects, and I feel like I leaned more towards liking them here in the context of “Finding My Way Back” overall – BUT…let’s not kid ourselves here – the effects work as well as they do, because Garrett already has an authentically great singing voice. So…you know…you get his vocals, arguably a bit masked, or arguably a bit enhanced, depending on how you personally hear it. A song like “Finding My Way Back” definitely comes from the Adam Young school of songwriting, but I’m all for it personally…HuffDaddy sounds fantastic on “Finding My Way Back” and I could see a whole lot of people out there tuning into this song and loving what they find.
And just like Adam Young went for an audible endorsement of Fiji Water, you’ll find HuffDaddy making a similar play for Coca Cola on “Forever Undone.” Someone hook this guy up with some of that good good corporate money, will ya? I’ve heard they’ve got plenty. Look…all kidding aside – “Forever Undone” has some great qualities to it, which largely appear in the hybrid sound of the song itself. It’ll appeal the Pop crowd, the Alt crowd, the Emo crowd, the R&B crowd…and the list could surely go on. I do think that the argument that the effects are actually getting in his way more than they’re helping becomes a bit stronger by this tune, and I’m sure I’ll have more to say on this before we’re done here – but yeah…don’t get me wrong, some of the ideas he’s got in terms of how he wants to sound are pure gold. Like I was tellin’ ya from the get-go, HuffDaddy didn’t go the safe route with his debut record – a track like “Forever Undone” is tremendously tough to sing and it demands quite a bit from a singer in order to nail every piece with the kind of fluidity, confidence, character and professionalism intact – so give Garrett the credit he deserves by getting about as close to bang-on as you could hope to hear on the inside of a first experience. Do I love it? I’ll say this…I think it’s a really damn good song. I suppose on a personal level, I’m probably more partial to the “Finding My Way Back” or even the opening track if we’re talking about the ideas on display…but I do think that “Forever Undone” has real memorable qualities to it. It’s the end of the chorus melody that raises the level of the hook up even higher, and I really dig that part; the beginning of the hooks is a tough mountain to climb, but he does himself proud.
Yeah…here’s the thing – Garrett, aka HuffDaddy, has got a supreme level of natural talent – I can hear that even with the mask of effects that he’s currently hiding behind a bit more than he should be. It’s a fairly normal thing to be honest with ya…for a lot of singers out there, they tend to oversaturate their first moments at the microphone, because it’s a lot more comfortable…you don’t feel so overexposed. That being said, as time goes on, you’ll find the natural voice becomes the stronger asset, because it was all along…you’ll hear someone like HuffDaddy unfiltered later down the road as his confidence continues to grow. That’s when you’re able to make more informed choices that allow your experience to help you do what the song is calling out for. A song like “Lifeline” for example, is going to be better served by having the natural innocence without effects or too much flashy production…that’s what audibly preserves the kind of humbleness you wanna pair with a sincere sound and heartfelt melody like this. What I find amazing, is that “Lifeline” is STILL a great song, almost even despite a few choices you tend to find in an artist’s early work like the saturation of the effects, or reaching into the bag of phrases that have been used a million times before, like “breaking free from the chains” etc. HuffDaddy doesn’t need any of that stuff in my opinion…give him a microphone and his natural instincts…he’s gonna be just fine. The more he focuses in on uniqueness within his writing, so that he won’t drown in the sea of sameness, will be a huge benefit to the longevity of his success AND to his own interest in being an artist over time. I really love the way that Garrett sings though…and it seems like no matter what effect he chooses, or what he wants to sing about, the star of the show has that intangible X-factor you truly wanna cheer for.
To a large degree, I feel pretty close to the same about the fifth cut as I did towards “Lifeline,” although I’d concede that the metallic qualities to the vocals of HuffDaddy are kind of an oddly endearing fit into “Midnight Driving (Only Human).” Dude gets a lot of emotion into this song, and its mix of melancholy sweetness is sure to have more than a few folks reaching for the Kleenex. Personally, I think HuffDaddy got a lot of mileage out of this one. It’s the longest track on the record by nearly a full minute, and if anything, I suppose it’s fair to say that it’s actually one of the more minimalistic vibes he’s written into the fabric of Lost In The Fathom. As in, “Midnight Driving (Only Human)” your eventual attachment will probably surprise you a bit, considering there’s less involved to loving a track like this. All-in-all though, there’s not a whole lot to complain about here…I really like the distance in the percussion in the recording when it shows up, I like the lyricism, I love the guitar solo even though it’s short and sweet, and the appearance of neverforever seems to have worked out well in this collaboration. It’s not gonna be the happiest song you’re going to hear this year in terms of its demeanor & mood…so if you were lookin’ for your next summer anthem, this ain’t gonna be that, but it’s another quality tune for sure.
While the main hooks of “Oh, Gotland” probably save it just enough, I’d probably take a track like “Midnight Driving (Only Human)” by comparison. Personally I think that Garrett took a chance with “Midnight Driving (Only Human)” not doing too much in terms of its minimalistic design, but it had the advantage of feeling very real, focused, and more identifiable to HuffDaddy. When it comes to “Oh, Gotland,” I feel like I can appreciate what he’s going for in terms of a tributary track to his ancestors and whatnot, but it’s written and presented to us in a style that’s a little less him and a lot more everyone else. So to be completely fair to him, that level of familiarity and sing-along worthy sound in “Oh, Gotland” is sure to please a lot of people listening, and when considering the upbeat melody that it contains as well…sure…it’ll be a crowd favorite, at the very least at the start of his career here. He’s got good imagery and details in the lyrics, which seems to be a constant point of consistency in his music to build on as he goes forward. The chorus hooks melodically pretty, it’s got energy, and ultimately, it’s a sweet intentioned tune. I probably prefer the melancholy of the track before because I’m a melancholy guy…but in terms of what tends to please the masses out there, I’d say “Oh, Gotland” is on solid ground.
It’s his debut record, so the guy’s allowed to slip a few degrees this way or that way as he makes his way through Lost In The Fathom. You’ll notice things like the brightness of “Oh, Gotland” in comparison to the duller sound that “Slipping Through” has in the production, despite its much more energetic vibes. That happens…I mean, I don’t know the whole story, but I’d be willing to bet that a lot of what HuffDaddy is creating right now is being done fully DIY based on what I’m hearing. Anyhow – that’s a bunch of stuff that can easily be resolved by the sliding of this knob that way or twisting that dial over there a bit further…you get it. What I’m always looking for in a debut are ideas, and “Slipping Through” has definitely got’em – I’d put this up there with the strongest up-tempo tracks you’ll find on this album. The chorus hooks are brilliant, full stop. Again, very much in that Adam Young/Owl City vein in terms of how a song like this is designed for maximum effect, but that ain’t me complaining…that’s a compliment. I want a bit more sparkle and shine on “Slipping Through” so that HuffDaddy’s tune gets the attention it deserves, and to be truthful, I think it’s worth the extra trouble to remix…but even as it stands right now, it’s still a highly listenable tune. Let’s not forget – this dude is moving at top speed with five singles out that aren’t actually on Lost In The Fathom – I have no doubt that slowing things down a bit will eventually pay off for him in terms of being objective about how things are sounding from track to track and fixing up all the tiniest of details…but Garrett’s tremendously inspired and you don’t want to discourage that either. The balance he needs is one that he’ll eventually settle into, 100%.
When I saw “The Cartographer’s Lament” I think my first thought was about how much people in that profession could potentially have to lament, you know? So with respect to that, I was pleasantly surprised that this track ended up getting paired down to just over three minutes when I was assuming it could have been a fifteen minute epic built on wondering how someone got stuck making maps. Okay – all kidding aside, one of the hallmarks of great songwriters is being able to make the audience care about some things that they probably wouldn’t have on their own – and “The Cartographer’s Lament” is a stellar example of how that’s true. While it’s true that very few songs are about just one thing, and that’s true of this song too – credit where credit is due, HuffDaddy has written in some great lines that reflect the theme he was working within. From key landmarks, to references about what you’d need to do as an official cartographer…it’s cleverly written, and yet careful to not go too far as to become a parody of what he was looking to create – the sincerity you want to find is completely present and fully accounted for. I love the main hooks of the chorus…I love the challenge it would be to sing a song like this as well…and overall, the dynamics on display here are used extremely well as “The Cartographer’s Lament” goes from its mellow start to bolder moments of melody along the way. I’d still caution against using the effects on the vocals too much to the point where it starts to distort the clarity of a song like this that relies heavily on clarity & space to make an impact on ya, but HuffDaddy gets this pretty close. It’s a solid conclusion to the record as the final song that you’ll hear on Lost In The Fathom.
But wait – there’s more! I feel like that’s a statement those closest to Garrett are likely becoming very familiar with. For real…he’s put out fourteen tunes in total since June 13th in the world according to Spotify – including a handful of singles before the album, and already one tune after it. I’m told that the two versions of “Forgiveness On My Mind” were “late additions” to the record…which kind of makes sense considering that they actually arrived on the internet on the same exact day, and yet makes no sense when considering that they could have been added to the album, instead of appearing as a single. Whatever! Most of the time that stuff don’t matter too much to me – and more HuffDaddy is certainly something I’m absolutely willing to listen to. I wouldn’t have recommended having two versions of this track appear on the album anyhow – I practically never think that’s a wise decision and applaud Garrett for realizing that it’s better to go the single route. The main reason I feel that way is simple math – you put two versions of a song on one album, you’ll wear it out twice as fast. You put out a single like “Forgiveness On My Mind” with an acoustic and an electric version, listeners can wear it out at a pace of their own choosing, and everyone loves freedom of choice like that, don’t they? It’s a quality tune no matter how you slice it, though if you’re one of those folks that like a bargain, you get almost forty seconds more in the opening acoustic version. HuffDaddy has a great understanding of the use of space – and I want the same patience he displays as an artist to show up in the production eventually. There are some solid moves being made in the right direction, and I feel like you can hear one of them clearly in the way he’s designed the call & answer style vocals that flow throughout the verses of “Forgiveness On My Mind – Acoustic Version.” I also really love how we get to hear those guitar notes so close up too – there’s some stuff to be really proud of in this stripped down version of “Forgiveness On My Mind.” As for the “Rock Version” – I think HuffDaddy proves his material CAN be adapted this way or that way – and experimentation in general…finding out what you can/can’t do as an artist, is CRUCIAL in the early stages of a career. I would be the first to tell ya that the “Rock Version” of “Forgiveness On My Mind” works well enough – but I don’t think the song itself is really calling out to become a Rock song, you feel me? HuffDaddy played this correctly by giving it the acoustic treatment…that’s what the kind of mood & lyricism it has is looking to be paired with – but sure, I’ll admit there’s a catchiness that exists in the energy of the “Rock Version” too. It’s a highly personal song when it comes right down to it, and it deals with some incredibly heavy subject matter if you’re listening closely to the words…and I’d be inclined to say that the “Acoustic Version” allows us to really absorb the emotion that he’s wanted to convey to us.
Overall though…to be clear…I’ve enjoyed every tune I’ve heard from HuffDaddy and think this dude has got an incredible future ahead of him. Refinement, experience, objectivity…patience…that’s really all he needs as he continues forward from here, but his instincts are gonna take him straight up to the tops of playlists and charts if he keeps working at his craft – I can practically guarantee it. Despite all the effects you’ll hear along the way, Garrett is naturally gifted beyond words, and a remarkable addition to this music scene we share – this is the kind of guy with the dedication & heart it takes to succeed in this biz.
Find out more about HuffDaddy from this multilink right here: https://linktr.ee/TheHuffDaddy
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