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A negative-40-degree windchill leaves a humble Midwesterner with one desire: warmth. Daydream Retrievers’ new single, “Joke for a Light,” delivers (sonically anyway) as a smooth pop ballad yearning for a magic spell to make everything easy again.
Ian Olvera, the brains behind Daydream Retrievers, started working on the project after his previous band The Sleepwalkers broke up in 2015. He released a debut self-titled album in 2018 and three singles in the years that followed, with “Joke for a Light” his first drop in almost four years.
Olvera got the idea for the refreshing indie-pop track while on the phone mid-tour in North Dakota. Talking with friend and producer Jon Gilbert, the duo thought it would be fun to craft a song together in the studio — but Olvera knew he needed to walk in with some solid material. It turned out he only needed 10 minutes to write most of “Joke for a Light” and a couple hours for the pair to record the single, getting help from Malcolm Cross on drums and auxiliary percussion.
The instrumentation flows smoothly and runs deep, with a lot of distinct sounds cleverly placed in the mix. The rhythm section is simple and orderly, doing its job to create a foundation for Olvera’s more melodious toys to shine: an acoustic guitar adding necessary rustic texture to balance a wurlitzer, piano, two synths and slide guitars.
Despite the different textures and audio cues from a wide range of instruments, the track isn’t exorbitant. Olvera doesn’t push the soundscape to its limit and instead focuses on developing a tightly wound arrangement working in tandem with the vocals. He hones in on what makes each instrument great and ensures it thrives in its particular second.
The synth melodies are purposefully placed in the climax of the song, intended to replicate the moment of relief that comes from the chorus. However, elements of them can also be heard accenting the main melodies of the guitar and the piano, adding much-needed audio flavor.
The warmth that emits from the instrumentation is enhanced by the lyrics, which are again written with clear intent. Following a standard structure like a poem, Olvera’s bright imagery channels the weight of nostalgia in both a positive and negative light:
How will you take care of yourself
If you don't have the time
Ships in a bottle on a shelf
Garden gnomes and an elf
How can you let the time pass you by
Another race around
Another inner bait and switch
Teach yourself another dirty trick
A key theme is the inevitability of life — a constant unknown that holds almost omnipotent power over an individual. People can try to reject it, but sometimes control is the only thing someone lacks.
And pull it out the hat
Instead of a rabbit
It's another bad habit
Do you agree
Life can be surprising in every sense of the word and opens itself up to disappointment in the blind hope of something better. Olvera’s worry pokes through the rustic feel-good undertones of the song’s structure and makeup, communicating that there isn’t a specific problem. But there is the potential for one, and you can feel in the last minute of the song when everything coalesces into a bittersweet end.
“Joke for a Light” is the first taste of Daydream Retrievers in almost four years, so listen to the single anytime using the player at the top of the page and catch it on 88Nine throughout today (6:30, 10:30 a.m.; 2:30, 6:30 p.m.).
Jonathan Joseph is a Milwaukee-based multimedia freelance journalist who specializes in art and culture writing (and all things Milwaukee), with work appearing on Radio Milwaukee and in Milwaukee Magazine. Contact him via email or find him on LinkedIn.