Singer/songwriter Adam Melchor lets go with grace on his latest single “Joyride.”
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Stream: “Joyride” – Adam Melchor
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/652633121″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=true&visual=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”300″ iframe=”true” /]Adam Melchor takes us inside a moment of letting go for the better, emphasizing that perspective, above all, dictates how we choose to feel about a loss. With airy sobriety Melchor recalls the theft of his family’s broken down old Chevy- right out of the driveway- clear of any resentfulness or anger. Singing matter-of-factly, Melchor’s lyrics land like a lullaby bookended with trumpets, and offer a melody much sunnier than the content of the song appears to let on.
Someone stole the Chevy from the driveway
Bet you would’ve let it go for free
We said they wouldn’t make it to the highway
Let alone to the end of the street
The title’s still signed under our name
The registration’s been out of date for weeks
If the cops didn’t already find them
They’re probably breaking down as we speak
The lack of hard feelings in this acceptance evoked by the lyrics, co-written by Melchor and Dark Waves’ Nick Long, are applicable to more than just stolen property. Melchor reflects on his parents under-reaction to the incident, “I remember that being the first time I learned about perspective; that even when bad things happen, you have to take the good things out of it. When my parents got divorced, it brought me back to this moment.” Therein lies the core of the happy-sad song, the joyride was something to be hoped for but without a sense of delusion, just as a distant dream. Catchy and swoon-worthy, the chorus blends the maturity of acceptance with a remaining shred of optimism, like wishing for just one more day of summer.
I think we’re better off without it
One day we will laugh about this
Might have left the windows cracked
Might have left the keys on the dash
I’m not even mad about it
We know we’re gonna live without it
Wish we took it for a joyride
Before the joy died
“‘Joyride’ is about letting things go for the better,” Melchor explains. “When I was a kid, my parents had a truck that never ran. It was stolen out of our driveway and they were unbelievably cool about it. They knew they never used it anyway, and there were much bigger problems to worry about. I remember that being the first time I learned about perspective; that even when bad things happen, you have to take the good things out of it. When my parents got divorced, it brought me back to this moment. Even though it’s not the greatest thing on paper, I knew splitting up would endlessly make them happier, so this is me looking at my parents separating through the lens of a dust collecting hunk of metal that wouldn’t properly turn on.”
“Joyride” joins a growing collection of songs that tactfully boast Melchor’s musical abilities. His simple honesty shines through his open and inyimate lyrics, and the combination of beachy bedroom folk with unique sonic elements make his music immediately memorable. At a time in which acts like Yoke Lore and Still Woozy are making a name for themselves by putting experimental twists on the nostalgically familiar, Adam Melchor proves himself to be up to task of standing out and staying honest.
Catch Adam Melchor in his home state of New Jersey with Mt Joy this October!
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:: stream/purchase Joyride here ::
Stream: “Joyride” – Adam Melchor
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