Having released “Five Three,” the first single from the EP, almost exactly three months ago, the expectations for Max Drazen’s debut could have faded with time, but the now-released songs have an energetic, uplifting presence of their own, making this EP one that should not be missed.
Although the official release of Someday only brings two more songs to the table, the compilation of R&B-inspired pop tracks most certainly marks a before and after in the Connecticut-native’s life. This is his first project that is longer than just a single, and I think it’s a pretty good way for potential new fans to check out what Max is all about.
The opening track and latest song to come out “Swoop” sounds like a tribute to early 2000s pop radio; it’s a fun little jam that I feel maybe would’ve made more sense a few years ago, and although it might not be my cup of tea, I still believe it sets Max apart from his contemporary counterparts. It holds an authenticity to it in the midst of an overcrowded industry of new artists trying to sound “indie” at any cost. This song also does bring me a warm feeling because it reminds me of the type of music that made me love artists like Why Don’t We and Ruel, who dragged me back into my pop roots when I needed it the most.
“Someday,” the EP’s title track and my personal favorite, is a sweet love song that keeps that nostalgic pop energy and shows more of Drazen’s vocal capacity. The soothing melody and production feels perfect to me, although that might be because it was produced by one of my longtime favorite genre-mixing artists, Rence. This song in particular did remind me (in a great way!) of “golden hour” by JVKE in the second half, both lyrics and music-wise, as the song turns from an acoustic ballad to a loud, head-banging, screaming-in-the-car type of hit.
The only other yet to be released song, “More (Like That),” is by far the one that gets further away from evoking an R&B energy, and instead fits almost directly into a Billboard 200 style of pop—which is not a bad thing in my book—my favorite singer is Taylor Swift. Even though the song is still pretty upbeat, it feels like a bit of a pause between the rest of the songs, but it’s still a pretty solid and fun track.
“Five Three” was already an almost perfect single, and with “Someday,” this EP gave me two pretty amazing pop songs to listen to on my way to the beach. I say writing this from my South American bedroom…in a city without a beach…in the middle of winter…which I think shows that the feel-good, elevating element Max Drazen was hoping to evoke really did come to life.
Someday is out now.
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