Thoughts On Each Song

HAYLA recently released her debut album, DUSK, and I want to give you my thoughts on it, song by song. 

The first song on the album, Only I, sets the tone very well for how the album will go. It’s very atmospheric in the break and dark. The songwriting in Only I isn’t the best on the album in my opinion, but it fits the theme. The drop has consistent energy, and sets the tone for the album. It’s very short however, and could use a bit more expansion. I also feel that there was a conflicting rhythm between the vocals and everything else. The second break is very similar to the drop, which leads to a bit of confusion sometimes. The second build up is very energetic, more so than many songs on the album, even more so than some drops. The second drop is longer, more thought out, and the rhythms fit together a bit better.

The second song on the album, Alone, has good songwriting. I really enjoy the vocoder in the buildups, but sometimes it’s hard to understand the lyrics. Drop is very energetic, and the bass patch keeps a lot of energy. It’s a bit simple, but it gets the job done. The vocal adlibs fit well in the drop. This second break has great vocals. The song structure is interesting, but more could be done with the arrangement. The bass patch, while being high energy, could use more variation. There an arp that I latch onto in the second drop that could be used in the first drop as well as a lead. It’s hard for me to latch onto the first drop, but the second half of the song was much better than the first half.

Freefall has a great vibe on lyrics. I can easily understand them, and they fit the track. The break seems really built around the vocals. The build uses the vocals as a transition, a nice touch, and remains quite washed out compared to other parts of the song. This song has one of my favorite drops on the album. I really like the length of the drop, the lead, and the stellar incorporation of the vocals. Second break is very rhythmic while still having a significant change in energy. The second build with the reese bass is great composition, and sound design. I wish more songs had this style of build. The second drop is amazing, and makes me want to rate it higher than an 8.5. When listening on headphones, it could use a little more in the mid bass. I also want that second drop to last longer, it ends so abruptly and quickly.

I like how bass is incorporated in Visions Of You. It’s a higher energy first break than much of this album. The chords slowly coming in, with the rhythms working together flows well into a buildup. The buildup has good lyrics, and I like the pluck. The drop is chill, ambient house, and quite vibey. I like the lead in this part. The second break however feels like it’s just the drop without the lead and a different bass. There is very similar ambient elements and drums. The second build up fake out is pretty good, adding extra flavor to the song structure. The real build up isn’t great though, and doesn’t build enough tension. Second drop feels very similar to the first drop. The pads are a nice extra element, but nothing special.

Loneliest Around You feels more like an interlude than an EDM song, due to the lack of a drop. The whole song feels like a break with varying levels of energy, but nothing that stands out as a drop. There is a hook, but it doesn’t stand out with a buildup or a drop. It’s pretty repetitive. It’s one of my least favorite songs.

Fall Again is the best song on the album in my opinion, with a 9.3. The lyrics in the break, as well as the rhythm and the atmosphere, work very well together. When the bass comes in for the build up, the vocals get really good. It’s one of the most catchy songs in my opinion. I really like the lead in the drop, the bass rhythms, and the percussion. My only qualm with the first drop is how short it is, even though the second break is super similar. The second break has much of the bass, percussion, and chord stabs that the drop has, all working well with the catchy vocals. The vocals fit really well in the break and buildup. My only qualms with this song are the fact that the drops are short, and the song structure could have an extra surprise in it. The second drop is pretty good, but much of it is covered with vocals. These vocals are great and fit well, but I want to hear more instrumental in this track.

I really loved Treading Water as well. The vocals are probably the most emotional on the entire album. The break is very vibey, and the chord progression and patch work amazing, along with the controlled low end. The higher speed spoken word section is good too. The build up with the hook is very vibey, but washed out. The drop is very chill, has a lot of sound effects, and generally fits the song very well. It’s a longer drop, with vocal stabs working well. The vocals are very similar between both breaks, but they are super catchy. The second drop with vocals is an amazing drop. I like all the ear candy in this track, and the vocals. The outro is a bit extended, however.

Unfold needs work on the break. The best part is when the piano came in, in the whole track. It’s not very energetic, and the vocals are very hard to understand sometimes, as airy as they are. The drop is very chill, and percussive, but doesn’t stand out. It’s way too light and the second break feels heavier. The song structure of Unfold, as well as much of the album, is very basic, and it could use a bit more arrangement. The very empty buildup adds some tension, but that’s not enough for this song to be good. The second drop’s lead gives me something to latch onto, but it’s so detuned it’s unpleasant to listen to other than when it hits the highest notes. The gated vocals work, but the lead stands out, and not in a good way.

Embers has one of the best vocals on the album. The high energy break, with all the atmosphere and reverb swells work well. The buildup is catchy, quick, and builds tension. The drop is one of my favorites, I love the lead and the percussion. The melody is catchy and rhythmic. The second break has different lyrics, and I appreciate that. The build up is super airy and enjoyable. It’s very long, but it brings a lot of tension and vibes. The second drop has really nice rhythmic basses. I don’t like how loud the hats are in the drop, but almost everything else is good.

DUSK is another song that feels like an interlude. It goes quickly, but it has no true lyrics, and doesn’t really have a build or drop. I really like the ear candy and the sfx but it’s not a true edm song. The string swells are very nice, and the hummed melody adds a lot of atmosphere. It’s a pretty repetitive track overall, though.

HAYLA’s debut album, DUSK had its high and lows, with generally good vocals. The arrangement of these songs stayed very similar throughout, which led to some fatigue over time. The buildups generally were washed out, and the second breaks were very similar to the first drops, as a whole. Some songs needed more energy, and some songs brought just the right amount of energy. Freefall, Fall Again, and Treading Water were the highlight of the album with their airy, vibey vocals that scratch an itch in my brain. There were 2 songs that felt more like interludes, DUSK and Loneliest Around You, both didn’t have much energy and were highly repetitive. Overall, I like the album’s idea and it’s consistency, but I would have liked a bit more energy, a bit more stylistic changes even in the sound design, and longer drops.