“Remy,” the latest single by indie pop project Seven Layer Piano Cakes, is from the point of view of a new parent who’s found that his whole world has changed forever. In a captivating, dream pop style, Justin Hoyt, the mastermind behind this project, has snared a complex set of emotions and compartmentalized it down into flights of delightful synth and hushed vocals. Speaking to his son, Hoyt lays his heart out in the open for all of our ears to hear.
At its base, “Remy” has a deftly crafted melody. Tiptoeing with incredible dexterity, the use of synth frolics between a dull edged, pitter patter and pointed rounds of joyous outbursts. One moment, you are lulled into a state of contentment and the next you are livened up with a barrage of bouncy synth melodies. All of it speaks to how Hoyt ranges from gleeful to pensive over the course of this tune.
One question that Hoyt poses becomes the crux of this entire song. He asks “did you growing up have anything to do with me?” Hoyt is weighing the impact he has on his son’s life. In turn, he acknowledges that his “heart just breaks apart” when he is absent from him. The demise of Hoyt’s “philosophy of only me” is the root of why he is analyzing himself in a new light.
“Remy” is a heartfelt outpouring by a parent who is questioning himself. In the light of a dream pop soundscape, Hoyt takes the edge off what are some dense, existential examinations.
Written by Travis Boyer
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