Carling glides over an effervescent Pop-tinged production that maneuvers between soaking piano chords, a precise hi-hat that comes fastened with an industrious rhythm—drawing semblance to the origins of a punchy breakbeat—and the softly carbonated top-lines we'd find over the most festooned choruses.
He has the propensity to transport us into a fantasia of oscillating and quick-dispersing sonic toys; percussive metallic twangs that render from left to right, a distorted crunch subtly coloring the mix's backdrops, and the occasional muted transitional tom-toms.
What's most magnificent and affecting his culmination of radiant harmonics and melodies here is how dynamic the course of the playback feels from verse to pre-chorus, and from pre-chorus into the hook.
"PYW" feels like a rollercoaster ride. We buckle up for the smooth journey towards the summit in the verses—washed-over with short reverberating guitar exhibitions—and then prepare for the butterflies that pervade our stomachs as we plunge into the hook's fleshy bits.
"I don't mind if you ran away, fell in love with someone else," Carling sings with a soft temper, delicately glossing over his words with a connoisseur's tongue before proceeding: "cause I still got the poem you wrote about me." It's a love-sick endeavor that finds our L.A. confidante magnifying his infatuating top-line with seamless adhesiveness amongst a multitude of synergizing vocal layerings that join together into a hymn-like mantra.
We're left feeling like Carling could lull us into a dream-state with how placidly his voice enamors our subterranean partialities—and it could only happen here, through the rhapsody of Pop-infused escapades on, "PYW."
Hello Carling and thank you for joining us at BuzzMusic. How did you go about curating the undeniable cohesive flow you render through each pre-chorus transition that falls into the hook perfectly on "PYW?"
I’m blushing! Thank you! This song came together really quickly honestly. I was focused on making this really conversational. I wanted it to sound like a message to someone. The pre-chorus breathes nicely lyrically, which helps the choruses feel so intense!
Is this track something you've collected from your own life experiences? Or was this an example of your affluence for manifest any fictitious narrative with your control over melody and lyrics?
It’s my side of a true story. Someone I was seeing decided to start seeing someone else, but she left me with a poem. (PYW stands for “Poem You Wrote”)
Where do you draw your inspiration and influences from for "PYW," and all its Pop-reminiscent characteristics?
My friends say this song has Postal Service influence. I personally think it was more inspired by The Weeknd. There’s lots of John Mayer in this song too. He should have copyrights on the E Major 7 add 9 chords.
Can you run us through some of the artistic goals you've been aiming for this year, and the steps you've been taking to get closer to those objectives?
So many things! Being around like-minded creatives really amplifies my creativity. Being more selective on where I spend my creative energy has helped me be more prolific and proud of the music I’ve been making. Oh, and I’m trying to practice my instruments more too.
What has been keeping you inspired in 2020?
The isolation has helped me to stay more true to myself. It’s easy to identify “what works” for other people and try to copy it. 2020 keeps asking me “But what do YOU want?”