Recommended Tracks: “Reputation,” “Irregular,” “Two Hearts”
Artists you may like: Conan Gray, Why Don’t We, Aidan Bissett
What is the best part of a teenage romance drama show? The hotties playing hockey we discover and then stalk on Instagram? Possibly. The new fashion sense of the main character’s best friend that goes viral on TikTok? Maybe. But what about the music? For myself, the second a new song comes on during a particularly emotional part of the show, I am scrambling for my phone to open my music app and find that exact soundtrack.
Stephen Dawes has brought this exact energy with his debut album, Skin to Skin. From the very first track, “Reputation,” this 10-track pop masterpiece found a special place in my “maladaptive daydreaming” playlist.
Through echoing vocals and crescendoing strains that remind you of the moment your OTP finally broke the tension with a simple look, Dawes’ songwriting evokes that same heart-thumping butterflies in your stomach. His voice is raw and unrestrained, making you feel the ache and heartbreak in tracks like “Morphine” and “Two Hearts.”
“Optimist” was a surprising track right in the middle of the album. Starting with some haunting piano chords to match the trauma “La La Land” delivered, Dawes dives us into a soothingly evocative melody that feels like walking in the rain without an umbrella in the middle of the busy streets of your now-not-so-favorite city.
“In the unraveling, love appears. It is not the kind of love found in strobe lights but the kind that pulls you back to earth.” Dawes’ testimony for this album rings true. While his songs might sound like something played in the flashing lights of a club, it fills you with the kind of longing you see in “Pride and Prejudice.” It ends with delving into profound emotional vulnerability and the relief of shedding inhibitions with a partner. It teaches you to let go, find the intimacy in letting your guard down.
Skin to Skin is available now for streaming.
Keep up with Stephen Dawes: Instagram / X / TikTok / YouTube / Spotify
