Day Wave, the solo project of Carousel‘s Jackson Phillip, is melt-in-you-ears kind of pop. Back in 2014, his debut single “Nothing At All” immediately sunk into my musical memory for the same reasons his latest single, “Total Zombie,” is sure to be an instant hit. Phillips knows how to combine the perfect amount of lulling instrumentals with ingraining hooks to form a sound that’s inviting and addictive on first listen. An ethereal ode to fighting for one’s own worth in love, “Total Zombie” is a veritable daydream complete with almost-whispered backing vocals, washes of synth, buoyant guitar, and a bassline that drives it all forward. I’m crossing my fingers for an EP very soon!
