Album Review: Dayglow’s Electronic Reinvention in ‘People in Motion’

Sloan Struble of Dayglow has taken an experimental approach with his third album, People in Motion, by trading in his signature dreamscape sound for electronic melodies and synths.

Written by Miranda Garza

Austin’s honorary DIY musician, Sloan Struble, is back under the moniker Dayglow with his third album, People in Motion. Struble began his career as Dayglow in 2017 when he released Fuzzybrain. The project took an honest approach to the term bedroom pop, given that the singer wrote, recorded, and produced it all in his home studio. The album’s lead single “Can I Call You Tonight?” was a commercial success, making the singer a household indie name. Four years after his debut album, Struble released Harmony House. While his previous two albums established his music with a dreamscape indie pop backdrop, People in Motion took an alternate approach by using electronic elements to completely reinvent Struble’s signature sound.

However, the deviation from Struble’s trademark was premeditated. The singer told Music Feeds, “I wanted to see what would happen if I didn’t give myself any rules. I just wanted the listener to feel like dancing and to see how much fun I was having making the record.” His execution follows through with the album’s vision perfectly because the collection of songs is nothing short of danceable and extroverted.

The album opens with its third single, “Second Nature.” Veteran Dayglow listeners may be caught off-guard by the punchy techno rhythm, but Struble’s soft vocals acts like a familiar focal point to guide them through the track's vibrant beats. Halfway through the song, his vocals dissolve into harmonies that repeat the line “Second nature love / This isn’t second nature love” behind countless layers of electronic instrumentation.

Then follows “Radio,” which features such buoyant and cheerful atmosphere that makes it almost unrecognizable among Struble’s previous projects. However, in true Dayglow fashion, these vivid instruments mask the anxiety-ridden depth in the track’s lyrics: “We’re always moving / But seems we’re never going / ‘Cause there’s just too much now out there / and I get so frozen.” Throughout his career, the singer has shown a penchant for contrasting his music’s blissful sound with troubling lyrics that cover everything from failing relationships to growing pains. The deceptive number is followed by People in Motion’s lead single “Then It All Goes Away.” Absent of the previous electronic elements, the song keeps the album’s upbeat streak with resonant drum beats and flickering melodies.

“Deep End” opens with mellow instrumentation that slowly builds in momentum before the lively beat drops during the chorus. Its synthy production makes the track dynamic and Struble’s high pitched singing complements its lilting tempo perfectly. Without missing a beat the album transitions to “Stop Making Sense,” where gleaming rays of instrumentation carry the happy-go-lucky song until its final note. This is followed by “How Do You Know?,” a track bound to be treasured by the overthinkers. The song’s punchy beat shadows Struble’s vocals as he curiously asks, “How do you know when a feeling changes? / How do you know it? / When a feeling is gone?”

The 23-year-old musician's tribulations with anxiety return in “Someone Else,” where the easygoing rhythm and Struble’s energetic voice works well to conceal any trace of the disconnect that he sings about in his lyrics: “I’ve been feeling like someone else, yet again / I’ve been waiting for this day to end / But yet again, it begins / It’s like someone else is taking place of everything while I’m waiting for myself.” Most reminiscent of Dayglow’s previous indie pop discography is the standout gem “Like She Does.” Dreamy verses complement Struble’s singing as cheery background vocals radiate optimism in the already heartening vignette. Whether the track’s magnetism is a result of it sounding like something off of Fuzzybrain or a product of the love song’s idyllic atmosphere, its aptitude to uplift listeners is undeniable.

The brief break from experimental effort continues with the stringy “Turn Around.” The acoustic undertone makes the number feel more down-to-earth than the first half of People in Motion, which feels futuristic with electronic beams and waves sounding in every direction. Each chorus is met with consistent airy melodies until the song’s bridge where an electric guitar woefully strums and adds ardor to the track before gradually returning to the previous instrumentals. Soft synths slowly reintroduce the previous space-age sound in the album’s closing track, “Talking to Light.” In the opening lines, Struble speaks directly to his wife, Reagan Liddle. “Oh Reagan, I feel it now / I never know what they’re talking about / You know me like a color / And you take me to the light,” he sings. Light sonic waves play out, but respectfully quiet as a centric piano hook takes the lead during the song’s bridge. The intricate arrangement returns and eventually fades out until the last second, where Struble says, “I love you Reagan,” closing the album.

With People in Motion, Struble proves his ongoing versatility as a musician and producer. By calling the shots himself, he’s made the potential for his future projects boundless within any genre or musical style. His ingenuity and dedication to music is striking in this album, motivating listeners to embrace the change and dance.