We first wrote about Minneapolis-based songwriter Con Davison back in 2018 with Far Off Distant Plans. The EP introduced a “half-paced and expressive brand of indie pop” from someone who until than had primarily been known as a drummer for the likes of Bad Bad Hats and Dreamspook. The following year we shared ‘Sofa Bed‘, a track we described as “lean[ing] into the warm, malleable rhythms to lend a distinctively languid aesthetic,” but beneath this bright sound lurked darker themes of homesickness and loneliness—a juxtaposition that has emerged as a trademark of Davison’s sound.
This month sees Con Davison return with a brand new double A-side single, Postcard / Way Back When Before, and the songs follow a similarly bittersweet blueprint. Take ‘Postcard’, which emerged from what was a particularly difficult year for Davison. After relocating to a new place, he lost both his job and any opportunity of touring, and faced a pressing loneliness. The track’s upbeat rhythms might appear in opposition to thee experiences, but ultimately brings another side into relief. “Within all that, it became increasingly clear that bad things are always gonna happen, and for seemingly no reason,” Davison says, “so better to proceed and act accordingly. Change what you can and be who you want.”
Second track ‘Way Back When Before’ ups the rhythm but tones down the brightness, favouring instead a gloomier tone. At least, that is, until it kicks into its chorus and realises a latent pop potential, the background shimmer coming to the fore and sheer movement and the sound’s sheer movement proving infectious.