Mood music? Introspective writing? Wistful, lo-fi ‘70s-porn beats? You can always count on Abby Amaya and Peter Frizzante to deliver the goods.
I relish each new release from the duo Day & Dream, who after two singles on this humble little label— “Rabbit Hole” and “Cabin Fever,” both from “the sun-kissed, reverb-drenched side of things,” as I wrote earlier this year—continue to astound with works of quiet introspection.
I am wont to call it mood music, the kind people like to spin when everything’s gotten a bit too much, like salve on a throbbing, half-open wound. Almost always, these tunes start as conceptual prompts Abby Amaya and Peter Frizzante zero in on—what kids, incidentally, call a “mood”—and massage into affecting, lilting arrangements.
In short, the works of Day & Dream are equal parts modern balladry and ornate handicraft.
And the same is true of “Separation Anxiety,” which first saw life as an ode to Abby’s a goldendoodle named Zeppi, a “therapy dog” she adored from infancy onwards, was flower girl at the couple’s wedding, a fixture in their band’s livestreams, and most importantly, a “best friend to us during some super-dark times.”
“They always say dogs panic and have separation anxiety when their owners leave. But Peter always jokes I have separation anxiety when I’m away from our dog,” Abby shares, half-laughingly describing these episodes of “mutual sadness” as “totally unhealthy.”
It was during Zeppi’s nursing of a large wound that the duo found it opportune to offer up “Separation Anxiety” for release, given its comforting resonance and its TLC themes.
Musically, the duo was leaning towards electronica and lo-fi indie in the vein of Men I Trust, Mac De Marco, and JW Francis. Instrumentation-wise, they were going for a muted, ‘70s-porn drum sound (which Matt Hendler delivered with aplomb), and naturally, some equally irresistible, pulsating bass work (which Dan Hyman handled, easy-peasy).
As always, Abby sounds angelic, and Peter plays understatedly beautifully, making Day & Dream a reliable musical proposition for those pining for reprieve and relief, but also some pretty damn chill atmospherics. And, man, when somebody tells you to “Show me the sun / and I’ll shadow”? That’s love.
Have a fix of “Separation Anxiety” today.