Double Wish blends sparkle and grit in time-stopping debut

In his own words, Adam Sabolick (aka Double Wish) says “Fever Dream” is at odds with itself. The dark and gritty thematic material flutters lightly about with gazing delays and soaring synths. A fevered dreamscape with bittersweet nostalgic notes and sparkling sentiment, it leaves you oddly optimistic about a future it derides as “far away.”

As his debut single under the moniker, the singer-songwriter packs this piece with purposefully layered elements. The story unfolds through a delay on the guitar solos decaying into a pure wave function, a distorted drum rumbling in your chest, and untethered lyrics like “deeper than the ocean, farther than the stars” sung with smooth and languid tones.

The push and pull of the melodies, crashing against each other and transitioning between each section, create a causal relationship between emotions and realizations. It’s like a process of self-discovery.

Leaping octave synths, pedal point tones, and an unstable quietude filter the feeling of losing time through a reflective lens. Is the opening countdown leading us to something new or are we just half-remembering? Are the tones sinking or flying? Or maybe, the answer is both, at constant odds with itself.

Stream “Fever Dream” below.

Ben McCoy

Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.